Possibly used already on the Pixel 8 series, Samsung posted detailed information on its latest camera sensor, the 50MP ISOCELL GNK. This is the successor to the 50MP ISOCELL GN1 which was used on the Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. The new ISOCELL GNK sensor has a pixel size of 1.2μm and measures 1/1.3-inch. Samsung says that the camera sensor will deliver photos with more dynamic range and less noise.
The ISOCELL GNK camera sensor supports normal frame rates of up to 24fps at 50MP and 90fps at 12.5MP. Video frame rates of 8K video at 30fps and 4K at 120fps are supported along with frame rates as high as 240fps. To improve low-light photography, 4:1 pixel binning creates a larger 2.4μm pixel with more light sensitivity. The sensor also works with HDR and Staggered HDR. The latter works by having the camera take a long exposure and short exposure simultaneously using the same camera sensor. This results in faster and better-quality HDR images especially when the subject is in motion.
It’s likely that the unnamed new 50MP camera sensor on the Pixel 8 series is the ISOCELL GNK
The ISOCELL GNK camera sensor also features Smart-ISO Pro which maximizes the dynamic range of smartphone cameras. Dynamic range is the darkest and brightest part of a scene and improving the dynamic range makes sure that photos don’t come out looking too dark and overexposed or too bright and underexposed. The Camera sensor also supports RAW8/10/12 and 14 and Dual Pixel Pro-Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF). This improves the image quality including color reproduction.
Google has confirmed that the Pixel 8 line is employing a “new camera sensor” and considering that the discontinued ISOCELL GN1 sensor is very similar to the ISOCELL GNK and that the specs of the latter match those of the unnamed sensor used in the Pixel 8 series, it would seem that the unnamed camera sensor on the latest Pixel models is the 50MP ISOCELL GNK.
