OmniVision launched its 50MP phone camera sensor that would work wonders for low-light photography and HDR video recording. It is a first-of-its-kind sensor that accommodates 50 million pixels with a pixels size of just 1.0 micron. The sensor has an optical format of 1/1.5 inches and could improve the photography prowess of mid-range phones to a huge extent.
The current state of mid-range smartphones offer even 50MP image sensors, but their image quality is subpar at best. With OmniVision’s improved sensor size and pixel size, the sensor will be able to capture a lot of light and thus capture better and sharper images.
The news sensor will use OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S chip stacking technology, which doubles its performance in a few scenarios. Firstly, the auto-focus capabilities would improve much, capturing the subject better while ignoring the background. The OV50E can also output 12.5-megapixel images, which would have four times better sharpness using pixel binning technology.
Output formats of the new OV50E sensor include a 50MP, or 8K video, with QPD autofocus at 30 frames per second (fps). It can capture 12.5MP with QPD autofocus at 60 fps and 4K2K video with QPD autofocus at 90 fps. In addition it can capture 1080p video resolution at 240 fps and 720p at 480 fps. These options can be output up to 3.5 Gbps per trio over the sensor’s CPHY MIPI interface.
The current state of phone cameras
Xiaomi 12s recently launched, sporting the most giant 50 MP 1-inch sensor. The phone received good appreciation from the tech community. In addition, Motorola is working on launching a 200 MP camera phone using Samsung’s newly-developed ISOCELL sensor. Interestingly, Samsung won’t launch any 200 MP camera phone this year, which obviously gives the upcoming Moto phone a huge advantage.
OV50E sensor could be adopted by mobile manufacturing brands like BBK electronics, Xiaomi, and more brands. It would help them offer a significant bump in photo and video quality without affecting the price too much. And if you think phone cameras are not good, you can check out the comments made by Sony’s CEO on smartphone cameras here.
