Samsung shared some specifications and more information about its upcoming 200MP ISOCELL HP1 camera sensor. The new hardware isn’t yet in any of the company’s devices, but we may see it in upcoming flagships, although the latest rumors point to a 108MP camera to be used in the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The ISOCELL HP1’s ultra-high resolution sensor is a big step forward for mobile photography, says Samsung in the press release. It’s based on 0.64μm pixels, and it’s the world’s first 200-megapixel image sensor, claims the company.
The new sensor can capture more detail even when the image is zoomed or cropped in, and Samsung uses a new 4×4 pixel-binning technology to take advantage and preserve more detail on the images. The pixel-binning technology also allows 8K video to be recorded with minimum loss in the field of view. It works by combining four pixels into one 1.28μm-sized pixel, which allows 8K at 30fps, and 4K videos at 120fps.
Improved noise reduction and low-light capability
The new ISOCELL HP1’s combination of pixel-binning, smart-ISO, and multisampling provides clearer photos in low light conditions. When shooting in low-light environments, the 4×4 hybrid pixel-binning technology merges 16 pixels into one large 2.56μm-sized pixel. As a result, this greatly improves the sensor’s light absorption, producing bright, 12.5MP images with less noise.
Smart-ISO on the other hand, can intelligently adjust to various lighting conditions, and it can switch to high ISO mode to deliver brighter clearer photos. In well-lit environments, it can automatically select a low ISO mode and improve the color accuracy and reduce oversaturation. The multisampling technology reduces noise by analyzing multiple readouts of each pixel and averaging them into one.
Better HDR photos
The new ISOCELL HP1 combines clear details with vivid colors that result in more vibrant photos. This is possible thanks to Staggered HDR and Smart-ISO Pro technologies. The former allows the image sensor to achieve a wide dynamic range of 100dB, according to Samsung. Staggered HDR captures frames at short, middle, and long exposers to accurately expose shadows and highlights. It then merges those exposers into one image, which results in a crisp and clear photo in mixed lighting conditions. Smart-ISO Pro can further enhance HDR content (both photo and video) by sharpening images and with fewer motion artifacts.
Faster and more accurate autofocus
The ISOCELL HP1 has a fast and accurate autofocus technology, thanks to the image sensor’s Double Super PD phase-detection technology. The Double Super PD technology contains twice as many autofocus pixels as Super PD. Those pixels are covered by AF micro-lenses that allow you to focus on fast-moving objects faster and capture stunning content.
We have no information on when we might see a Samsung device equipped with the new 200MP ISOCELL HP1 camera sensor, but rumor has it that Xiaomi may be the first company to use it (via GSMArena).