Samsung has announced its ISOCELL GN2, a new 50MP image sensor with a 1.4-micrometer (μm)-sized pixels. It offers up to 100Mp imaging, improved auto-focusing through Dual Pixel Pro technology, powerful staggered HDR, and vivid results through Smart ISO Pro. It supports full-HD videos at 480 frames-per-second (fps) or 4K at 120fps.

The ISOCELL GN2 50MP sensor is touted to deliver exceptionally detailed photographs in regular settings. It can simulate a larger 2.8μm-pixel with four-pixel-binning technology to absorb more light, delivering brighter and sharper images in low-lit environments including indoors. It also offers an option to take pictures in 100MP resolutions, which re-arranges the color pixels using an intelligent re-mosaic algorithm, creating three individual layers of 50Mp frames in green, red, and blue. These frames are then up-scaled and merged to produce a single ultra-high 100Mp resolution photograph. 

Samsung's most advanced phase-detection auto-focus solution yet.

The ISOCELL GN2 50MP sensor is Samsung’s first to offer Dual Pixel Pro, which is the company’s “most advanced phase-detection auto-focus solution yet.” The tech works by employing two photodiodes within every pixel of the image sensor. Dual Pixel Pro makes use of one hundred million phase detecting agents for ultra-fast auto-focusing. Unlike the Dual Pixel solution, Dual Pixel Pro offers an all-direction focusing by splitting the pixels not only vertically but also diagonally, which allows the focusing agents to better recognize the top and bottom of the frame. This, in turn, results in quicker focus even when there are no pattern changes in a horizontal direction.

The ISOCELL GN2 50MP sensor comes with staggered-HDR which increases its dynamic range by using rolling shutters over the same pixel arrays to capture multiple frames in short, middle, and long exposures. As a result, you get rich detail and vivid color in highlights and dark shadows within the scene. The sensor also has Smart ISO and Smart ISO Pro features that raise the light sensitivity close to one-million ISOs for better night photography.

“ISOCELL image sensors and its technologies have made vast improvements to deliver the quality and performance one would expect from top-tier prograde cameras,” said Duckhyun Chang, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “Our new ISOCELL GN2 features Dual Pixel Pro, an innovative all-direction auto-focusing solution that elevates the agility to capture moments as they unfold. Adding on Smart ISO Pro and a variety of advanced pixel technologies, pictures from GN2 are more true-to-life than ever.”