Samsung just unveiled a brand new 50MP sensor that will be an heir to the GN1 unit that it unveiled last year, but with improvements so numerous that it could see a much bigger uptake from phone manufacturers than its predecessor. Looking at the ISOCELL GN2 specs we hope that Samsung uses it in more of its upcoming Galaxy phones:
- Huge 1/1.12″ sensor size with large 1.4 micron physical pixels (vs 1/2.3″ and 1 micron for the rumored Sony 50MP IMX766 in OnePlus 9 and Find X3)
- 50MP/100MP shots
- Default 12.5MP mode with binned 2.8 micron pixel giants
- New Dual Pixel Pro autofocus with both left/right and top/bottom focusing phases
- Efficient Staggered-HDR and Smart ISO Pro for greatly improved dynamic range
- 120fps 4K slow-motion video
Samsung outs new Dual Pixel Pro and staggered-HDR phone camera features
This is why Samsung was the first able to introduce true continuous autofocus while recording video, but now with Dual Pixel Pro it takes things to the next level. Instead of seprataing the two focusing diodes at the base of each pixel vertically, it splits them diagonally, so that not only the left and right focus phases can be merged, but also the top and bottom ones. This would result in a picture that is never out of focus, including moving objects.
In addition, Samsung’s new 50MP sensor introduces a technology called Staggered-HDR, a “time-multiplexed HDR technology that uses rolling shutters over the same pixel arrays to capture multiple frames in short, middle, and long exposures.” Not only would this allow Galaxy phones to capture trickier dynamic range scenes that have a lot of bright lights and shadows but it is also 24% more energy efficient than the current HDR tech in the S21 series, for instance, so the camera unit would be gentler on the battery, too.
