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Samsung continues its slogan “more pixels is better” with the launch of its latest 200 megapixel (MP) sensor.of Isocel HP2 is a relatively large (for a smartphone) type 1/1.3 sensor (about 12mm diagonally) with a pixel pitch of 0.6 micrometers (μm), halfway between the 200 million pixel HP1 and HP3 sensors. Along with new HDR capabilities, it offers more light gathering than past sensors and could be used in Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone.
The HP2 uses what Samsung calls Dual Vertical Transfer Gate (D-VTG) technology. This essentially doubles the number of electrons available from each photodiode, “increasing the pixel’s full-well capacity by more than 33%,” the company writes. This means pixels can hold more charge before they saturate, reducing overexposure and improving color reproduction in bright light conditions.
As before, it can be transformed into a 1.2μm 50MP or 2.4μm 12.5MP sensor by binding 4 or 16 adjacent pixels, resulting in better performance in low light. You can shoot video up to 8K 30 fps in 50MP mode (up from 24 fps on the Galaxy S22) to minimize cropping while allowing sharper video. It also uses something called Smart-ISO Pro to capture 12.5MP HDR images and 4K HDR at up to 60 fps. And just like before, each pixel acts as a focus agent, enabling fast autofocus even in low light.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra “only” had a 108MP sensor, while other devices like the Motorola 30 Edge Ultra and Xiaomi 12T Pro used a 200MP HP1 chip. Samsung says the HP2 fits the bill because it’s already in mass production. The Galaxy S23 is set to be announced in just two weeks on February 1, 2023.
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