Samsung today introduced four new ISOCELL camera sensors its 0.7μm pixel product lineup. These new sensors are sleeker, thanks to their smaller pixels. With this new lineup, the company is planning to expand the ultra-high-resolution offerings to mainstream smartphones with smaller camera bumps.
The new four camera sensors are: 108MP ISOCELL HM2, 64MP ISOCELL GW3, 48MP ISOCELL GM5, and 32MP ISOCELL JD1. In comparison, the older ISOCELL sensors with similar resolutions use 0.8µm pixels. The newer sensors are 15% smaller and their height is reduced by 10%. The smaller size of the new sensors gives OEMs more flexibility in designing smartphones.
To make sure that smaller pixels don’t affect the overall image quality, Samsung has used ISOCELL Plus and Smart-ISO technologies that are optimized for 0.7µm pixels. ISOCELL Plus retains the light received within the pixel by employing a wall-like structure, while Smart-ISO intelligently adjusts the ISO to make full use of the incoming light.
Samsung’s new 0.7μm Lineup of camera sensors
- ISOCELL HM2: It is Samsung’s third 108MP image sensor following the HMX and HM1. The HM2 features Super PD, a faster and more effective phase detecting auto-focus solution, and like the HM1, comes with a nine-pixel binning technology as well as 3x lossless zoom.
- ISOCELL GW3: It is a 64Mp-image sensor optimized for mainstream devices. Thanks to the smaller pixel size, the GW3’s optical size is nearly identical to that of Samsung’s 0.8μm 48Mp image sensor. The image sensor supports video recording at up to 4K resolution at 60fps.
- ISOCELL GM5: It is a versatile 48Mp-image sensor designed for use in telescoping or ultra-wide-angle cameras. For ultra-wide shots, the GM5 supports high-speed full-HD recording at 480fps. The sensor also offers a staggered-HDR feature, a faster and more power-efficient HDR technology that expedites image processing by sending a readout of the long, medium, and short exposures of each row of pixels respectively to the mobile processor.
- ISOCELL JD1: It is the industry’s smallest 32Mp-image sensor at 1/3.14-inches, making it an ideal solution for smartphones with bezel-less displays that incorporate a hole-in-active-area or motorized pop-up mechanism for the front-facing camera. Like the GM5, the JD1 is also the one the first ISOCELL image sensors to offer staggered-HDR.
“Samsung continues to pioneer innovations, like ISOCELL Plus and Smart ISO, to deliver more pixels during a smaller package.” Said Yongin Park, Executive vice chairman of the sensor business at Samsung Electronics.
“Last year, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 0.7μm-pixel image sensor and therefore the first 108MP sensors. Now we are bringing more of the advanced pixel technologies to mobile cameras during a sort of options which will enable high-resolution images and sleeker designs during a wider selection of tomorrow’s mobile devices.”
Samsung has started the production of ISOCELL HM2, ISOCELL GW3, and ISOCELL JD1, while the ISOCELL GM5 is currently in the sampling stage. You can expect smartphones with these new camera sensors to be launched by the end of this year.