We knew that Xiaomi had previously boasted of an alleged 108 megapixel sensor with the Samsung seal that would arrive sooner or later. Well then, it's here. Samsung just presented the ISOCELL Bright HMX (S5KHMX), a new 108-megapixel sensor that stands out for being designed in conjunction with Xiaomi.
108 megapixels for a mobile
The number is scary. 108 megapixels It's an amount that would have been hard for us to imagine, but it's finally a real product made possible by the 0,8 micron pixel size, a size that was already used in the 48- and 64-megapixel models. Due to this similarity in the manufacturing process, on paper the differences are not particularly striking, since this new sensor also uses pixel-binning technology (under the name of Samsung Tetracell) to unify 4 pixels that will function as a single pixel, thus resulting in images comparable to that of a 27-megapixel sensor with pixels that are 1,6 microns in size.
So at first we might think that the news is limited to offering larger photographs, but is it so? The manufacturer has commented that a new Intelligent ISO technology (SmartISOs) that will be in charge of adjusting optimal sensitivities to reduce noise and loss of detail, in addition to being able to record 6K video (6.016 x 3.384 pixels) with a rate of 30 images per second. Unfortunately, there is still no sign of a possible recording mode at 960 images per second, something in which Sony's sensors stand out, but which Samsung seems to ignore since the 48-megapixel model.
A large sensor in pixels and in size
Considering that it maintains the pixel size of its predecessors, it is to be expected that the size of this sensor will be considerably larger. The result is a 1/1,33-inch sensor, which is larger than the 1/.72-inch and ½-inch sizes of the 64- and 48-pixel models, respectively. This new size will allow a smartphone to have a sensor very close to that of a mirrorless camera in terms of size.
When will we see the 108-megapixel sensor in stores?
It is still early to start carrying out the first tests with the sensor, since Samsung assures that its new ISOCELL will not hit stores until the end of the year, a date that could coincide with the launch of the new Xiaomi Mi MIX 4, phone that is rumored to release said sensor.
The mass production of the new ISOCELL Bright HMX It will begin at the end of this month of August, so we hope to see the first internal tests in the coming months, since for now it seems that we are going to have to be content with the physical images of the sensor. We want photos!