Samsung develops world’s first 200MP telephoto sensor for smartphones

Samsung Electronics just developed the most advanced image sensors which will equip the next generation of smartphones with the best mobile cameras on the market.

As demands for superior cameras and better image quality continue to rise, Samsung’s latest design enhances sensor performance and bridges the gap between main and sub cameras, according to Samsung Newsroom.

“Offering a consistent photography experience across all angles is the new direction of the industry,” said Jesuk Lee, Executive Vice President and CTO of the System LSI Sensor Business Team at Samsung Electronics.

With the implementation of three new mobile image sensors for main and sub: ISOCELLS HP9, GNJ, and JN5, Samsung updated both the hardware and software to bring their users the crispest closeups, and the highest pixels and image quality available powered by AI.

ISOCELL HP9: 200MP telephoto sensor

The ISOCELL HP9 features the first 200 MP telephoto sensor, as per Petapixel , with 1/1.4 optical format and 0.56μm pixel size.

A new material in the high-refractive microlens boosts camera light sensitivity by 12% and autofocus by 10% due to improved light-gathering capabilities, Samsung says. It directs more light to the corresponding RGB color filter which also means better shots in low-light conditions.

Using Tetra²pixel, camera can zoom in up to 4x, still retaining a crisp quality, but in combination with the 3x telephoto module, it can zoom up to 12x with just the camera module, as per their website.

“While conventional image sensors have RAW data output before remosaic processing ( AI ), followed by ISP and JPEG image output, the ISOCELL HP9 carries out ISP and processing simultaneously.”

That translates to “faster processing times, better details and colors, and quicker shooting and photo checking .”

The ISOCELL GNJ: a chip

Jam-packed with dual pixel technology, the ISOCELL GNJ chip comes with “50 million 1.0μm pixels in a 1/1.57-inch optical format.” Two photodiodes in each pixel enable it to focus similarly to a human eye and deliver high-resolution images and videos by also gathering a full-color profile, according to Samsung.

Other improvements include better light transmission, a reduction of unwanted reflections, artifacts, and moiré, and more consistency in image quality also in low-light conditions.

The updated high-transmittance anti-refractive layer (ARL) in combination with Samsung’s highly refractive microlenses also features “an upgraded pixel isolation material to minimize the crosstalk between adjacent pixels, resulting in more details, accurate photos,” Samsung says.

And all that power turns out to be efficient.

“The sensor offers a 29% improvement in live view power efficiency and a 34% reduction in power use when shooting 4K/60p video.”

ISOCELL JN5: A 50MP sensor for all cameras

Finally, the ISOCELL JN5, a 50-megapixel Type 1/2.76 sensor with 0.64μm pixels, can be applied across main and sub cameras due to its slim format. This sensor increases charge transfer within pixels because of a “dual vertical transfer gate” (DUAL VTG) which reduces noise, as Samsung outlines, in low-light conditions. A Super Phase Detection (Super QPD) enables users to capture moving subjects as it rapidly adjusts the focus of the lens.

Dual slop gain (DSG) also enhances HDR. “This technology amplifies the analog light information entering the pixels into two signals, converts them into digital, and then combines them into one data, expanding the range of colors that the sensor can produce.” According to Petapixel , it sounds similar to dual ISO technology.

The 200MP and 50MP sensors are officially the best in the industry as Samsung is among the biggest image sensor manufacturers in the world after Sony, according to Petapixel , which supplies iPhones its image sensors. So this marks a significant advancement for smartphone cameras.

“We will continue to set industry standards and push technological boundaries with our new lineup of mobile sensors that integrate the latest advancements,” concludes Jesuk Lee for Samsung News .