Android phones have increasingly shipped with oversized camera bumps but that’s something Samsung may start to solve with its new 0.7μm-Pixel ISOCELL Sensors.
That’s based on a recent announcement from the company detailing four new products in its camera line. Those are the ISOCELL HM2, ISOCELL GW3, ISOCELL GM5, and ISOCELL JD1. The more compact chips not only pick up more light via ISOCELL 2.0. They also reduce the overall size of the components, making it easier to eliminate camera humps.
Each of the chips also keeps the same resolution as its predecessors. That’s in spite of a 15-percent reduction in size over its previous 0.8μm-Pixel ISOCELL Sensors. Light sensitivity is up by 12-percent while height is down by 10-percent.
So what are these new Samsung camera sensors?
Now, Samsung first introduced a 0.7μm-Pixel sensor last year. And it introduced it again with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, specifically in the front-facing camera. That was a 40-megapixel snapper. But these sensors are entirely new and built with different technology and a different focus.
For example, the ISOCELL HM2 is a 108-megapixel sensor. It features a faster phase detecting auto-focus solution than the HM1 dubbed Super PD. And it comes with nin-pixel binning technology and 3-times lossless zoom, according to Samsung.
Conversely, the GW3 is a 64-megapixel sensor that’s “ideal for active lifestyles” thanks to its use of a gyro-based EIS system. Additionally, it supports up to 4K resolution video capture at 60fps.
Stepping down the megapixel line, and up next, is the 48-megapixel ISOCELL GM5. That’s a multi-purpose sensor capable of use in zoom shots up to 5-times optical zoom via telescoping for folded-zoom. Or for use as a wide-angle sensor that supports high-speed full-HD recording at up to 480fps. It also packs staggered-HDR compatibility that more power-efficient and delivers less noise.
Finally, the 32-megapixel ISOCELL JD1 is relatively tiny at 1/3.14-inches. That means, according to Samsung, the sensors are optimized for punch-hole cameras or a pop-up camera. It also features the same staggered-HDR as the ISOCELL GM5.
When will these appear in phones?
Now, Samsung ISOCELL HM2, GW3 and JD1 are currently in mass production, Samsung says. And the company is sampling GM5 while the GH1 is also expected to enter production in the fourth quarter of 2020. All of that means that it won’t likely be arriving in a smartphone on shelves for at least a few more months. Mobile photography buffs will want to watch 2021 to see if and where these sensors appear.