The new ISOCELL HP3 should enable thin smartphones with extremely high-resolution cameras. With the new sensor for smartphones, Samsung accommodates a whopping 200 megapixels on 1/1.4 inches and thus an area 12 percent smaller than last year. Mass production of the sensor is slated to begin later this year.
The ISOCELL HP1 was Samsung's first 200-megapixel sensor in September 2021 and is scheduled to make its debut at Motorola in July be used with a smartphone. Rumor has it that Xiaomi will also be using it in the second half of the year before Samsung itself switches to 200 megapixels in the coming year.
Samsung reduces pixel size to 0.56 μm
Meanwhile, Samsung is taking the next step and has presented a successor or an alternative model with the ISOCELL HP3, which also works with 200 megapixels. However, the 200 million pixels are accommodated in a reduced area to enable use in smaller smartphones. While the ISOCELL HP1 came to 1/1.22 inch with a native pixel size of 0.64 μm (edge length), Samsung now accommodates the same resolution to just 1/1.4 inch. The native pixel size is thus reduced to 0.56 μm.
Due to the modified structure of the sensor, the overall size of a camera module can be reduced by up to 20 percent, explains Samsung.< /p>
ISOCELL HP3 can summarize 16 pixels
Aside from the high resolution, the sensor supports “Super QPD” phase comparison autofocus that works across all pixels. A phase comparison is carried out over four pixels in both the vertical and horizontal directions. In addition, the ISOCELL HP3 allows several levels of pixel binning, starting with the “Tetra” mode, each with four combined and thus 1.12 μm pixels with an image output in 50 megapixels. Up to 16 pixels can be combined into a 2.24 μm pixel for 12.5 megapixels. This is intended to simulate a sensor with very large pixels that can potentially deliver better results in poor light conditions.
Samsung is expanding HDR Functions
With the ISOCELL HP3, Samsung is expanding the capabilities of “Smart-ISO Pro”, which combines the image information from two previous ISO modes (low and high) in HDR images was able to add a third stage (Mid) to further increase the dynamic range. With the help of Smart-ISO Pro, a color depth of 14 instead of 12 bits (HP1) should be possible. The sensor also supports the “Staggered HDR” process, in which the sensor is read out line by line with shorter and longer exposure times. There are no changes in video mode, so 8K30 or 4K120 is still the maximum.