Samsung trademarks BRITECELL, hinting at a new camera sensor for the Galaxy S7

posted by Daniel P. / Nov 04, 2015, 4:16 AM

Samsung trademarks BRITECELL, hinting at a new camera sensor for the Galaxy S7

Samsung is hard at work on its next-gen phone cameras, it seems - just as we learned that it has developed a 20 MP sensor with a frugal 28nm package, now comes the news that it has patented the term BRITECELL. The patent application doesn't leave us guessing as to what it is about, saying “image sensor for mobile phones” right in the description.

Now, this patent might be related to the new 20 MP sensor, as Samsung lists it with a RWB color pattern for enhancing light sensitivity, and improving the signal-to-noise ratio in low-light conditions, hence the term "BRITE." Given that Samsung still uses ISOCELL to describe the 20 MP sensor, however, BRITECELL might be related to something totally new and yet-unreleased, rather than the new RWB pattern. Yesterday, Korean media spilled the beans on an alleged 12 MP sensor developed by Samsung, which will sport a large 1/2" surface area, allowing for huge pixels that collect more light, instead of mindlessly chasing the megapixel count, with an ever-decreasing pixel size as a result.

Samsung is apparently ready to put the new 12 MP sensor in production very soon, so when it comes to rumormongering, the Galaxy S7 could be equipped either with the new 20 MP, or the speculated 12 MP sensor, depending on what you'd like to believe, and the low-light technology on either of them can be titled with the trademark name BRITECELL. Fun times.

source: Kipris.or.kr via Galaxyclub.nl (translated)

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44 Comments

1. Baracus

Posts: 223; Member since: Sep 15, 2012

I'm hoping the S7 does get the bigger sensor after HTC chickened out from further developing their Ultra Pixel camera.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:32 AM 3

3. manojmcn

Posts: 633; Member since: Jul 16, 2015

Samsung never shied away from using the best available hardware for the flagship. They are ready to shell money to get it in return.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:37 AM 22

5. Baracus

Posts: 223; Member since: Sep 15, 2012

A lot of people are pixel wh@res though and wouldn't buy phones with less pixels thinking less means worse.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:40 AM 4

7. bodzio1809

Posts: 407; Member since: Aug 28, 2013

A lot of people are number wh@res. They think that more pixels in screen or camera means that product is better. Also more cores in processor like mediatek :D

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:47 AM 1

23. Ashoaib

Posts: 3269; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

no, please not 20mp... thats a rediculous size... I will buy a phone with 12mp any time... 20mp is a no go... why samsung is not investing time to come up with super pixeling by combining pixels like pureview software? it will sort out the problem of rediculously large jpegs

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 8:01 AM 0

29. buccob

Posts: 2952; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

Lol... you wouldn't buy a 20mp one but you want Samsung to do something like PureView? You know that PureView started with a 43MP camera, right? I love having my 20MP camera, but I take pictures at 8MP with pixel bining... more MP has the advantage at Zooming in. Of course having a bigger sensor is better too...

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 10:52 AM 3

34. Ashoaib

Posts: 3269; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

for your information, I am an owner of original nokia 808... I wont buy 20mp because it will stay at 20mp OR you have to compromise the quality of the image... nokia 808 which started with so called 43mp or 38mp effective, can create 2mp, 5mp and 8mp pureview shots without degrading the quality of the photo... for your information, you can zoom in without any loss in quality at 2mp in pureview... your logic of an advantage of zooming in with more mp is invalid in pureview... so practically pureview gives me small jpeg file size without any loss of the quality. Which your 20mp phones cant even dream about

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 11:57 AM 0

35. Macready

Posts: 1811; Member since: Dec 08, 2014

Baloney, the 808 uses in camera resampling methods employed by almost any modern camera that allows to shoot at a lower output resolution (which again most do) and for "zooming" a method similar to what Sony introduced over a decade ago as "smartzoom". There will be degradation though, because you're effectively using a smaller portion of the sensor in the latter case (basically a crop) and thus you're throwing away photons and end up with a worse S/N ratio. Also, these are all still sensors using Bayer filters, thus interpolation. Which means that even all else being equal, more MP can give more color information and less artifacts.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 12:53 PM 0

11. vincelongman

Posts: 5628; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

Ultra Pixel was just HTC's branding for Omnivision's 4MP sensorshttp://www.ovt.com/products/category.php?id=28 It seems like Omnivision is also using deep trenching and 1um pixels (but not RWB)https://3gltesummit.qualcomm.com/sites/default/files/pdf/3GLTE2015_Omnivision-KOTan.pdf But I'm not sure how up to date that is The Qualcomm 3G/LTE Summit is from Sept this year The OV16880 is their newest mobile sensor as AFAIK, but its from March this year, so they probably have newer sensors coming soon

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:57 AM 1

25. zeeBomb

Posts: 2318; Member since: Aug 14, 2014

Woow. What a time to live in. Samsung doing ALL kinds of innovation for their new smartphone. I'm expecting an editorial plaque from many next year!

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 9:10 AM 3

2. manojmcn

Posts: 633; Member since: Jul 16, 2015

Whatever be the sensor, it's guarenteed to be the top notch one. For harware spec, Sammy always puts the best ones in the flagships.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:35 AM 22

4. Baracus

Posts: 223; Member since: Sep 15, 2012

They may be the best by phone standards but not by proper camera standards and a bigger sensor will bring phone cameras up to a whole new level especially in low light use.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:38 AM 3

24. Ashoaib

Posts: 3269; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

why not 1/1.7inch CCD sensor? which is used in some canon's compact cameras and produce very true colors with great detail... samsung and any other company always try to imply that, what they have created is the best in the world and take more light and bla bla bla... but in reality, it turn out normal or just marginally better

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 8:11 AM 1

36. combatmedic870

Posts: 983; Member since: Sep 02, 2015

It's simply too large of a sensor probably. Also note that canons stopped using CCD sensors in the S95. CMOS sensors are now what's used for canons S series and almost every new camera now(besides maybe some medium format.) The larger the sensor, the larger the lens. Right now they are around 1/2.4 I think. I think to a 1/2.0 sensor would be a decent jump.....who knows If you want IQ of the Canon S series in a S series you will be waiting for a little while.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 1:02 PM 2

6. kent-gaga

Posts: 609; Member since: Apr 10, 2012

it might get into some trouble the way the first gen ISOCELL sensor did on the S5. No doubt that it has a lot of potential, but I still think Samsung needs a lot more time to perfect the new tech

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:44 AM 2

12. vincelongman

Posts: 5628; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

All their recent flagships since the Note 4 have used either the Sony IMX240 or their own ISOCELL sensor Its not a problem any more

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 5:01 AM 8

41. kent-gaga

Posts: 609; Member since: Apr 10, 2012

that's why I said "on the S5", not on the Note 4 or the S6 What I was trying to say is that samsung needs time to perfect it and it might not be on the first implementation

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 7:52 PM 0

40. zeeBomb

Posts: 2318; Member since: Aug 14, 2014

Pfft nah. Sammy got this in ze bag.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 6:47 PM 1

8. Neros

Posts: 1016; Member since: Dec 19, 2014

Best mobile camera of 2015.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:48 AM 6

19. Neros

Posts: 1016; Member since: Dec 19, 2014

Ops, *2016 Silly me :P

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 6:20 AM 8

9. Kumar123 unregistered

What a stupid name. Samsung said the same thing about their ISOCELL and how great it would be in low light situation but it turns out S5 had the worst camera when it comes to night scene. There was nothing "Revolutionary" about ISOCELL and It will be same for this stupid "BRITECELL" sensor. Its a stupid name for a sensor and it will performs like stupid sensor. BTW, Sony's sensor >>>>>>>>>>>> Samsung's sensor. That's why they always send the phone that has Sony sensor inside to dxomark, not their own sensor. Because they know their sensor is inferior.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:52 AM 12

13. g2a5b0e unregistered

Did Samsung kill your family? They have must have because you're mighty hateful about a company that has nothing to do with your personal life. My suggestion: grow up.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 5:19 AM 23

14. Ordinary

Posts: 2454; Member since: Apr 23, 2015

LOL Basically 99% of his posts are only: I hate Samsung and I want attention.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 5:22 AM 29

16. g2a5b0e unregistered

Exactly. These fanboys act like this stuff is personal. These are just companies trying to make money. I have better things to do with my life than constantly talk trash about inanimate objects. Must suck to be that bitter.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 5:29 AM 19

21. epdm2be

Posts: 816; Member since: Apr 20, 2012

Don't forget that people pay big bucks for that tech. And if it later proves not having any benefit at all then they feel betrayed... Sure, if you have the opportunity (read: money) to buy a new high-end phone whenever something new comes about then praise yourself lucky. Most of us have to keep using the device for quite a long time before we can obtain something new. So I perfectly understand these reactions. In the case of the S5-camera. Compared to e.g. a Z1(compact) it IS better. Even in low-light. I have an S5 and my dad has a Z1compact, which is from the same time, so I have first hand experience.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 7:13 AM 1

32. iushnt

Posts: 3062; Member since: Feb 06, 2013

The note 5 with ISOCELL is performing great in my brother's hand. This guy is just butthurt

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 11:38 AM 5

17. Carbo

Posts: 42; Member since: Aug 07, 2015

Samsung knows how to make excellent sensors, just look at the NX1.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 5:35 AM 4

20. maherk

Posts: 6715; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

Oh boy, the brainless hating zombie is at it yet again. You do realize that the Note 4, S6, S6 Edge, Note 5, Edge+ comes equipped with either a Sony sensor or the ISOCELL sensor? And that tests showed that in some scenarios, the ISOCELL slightlyyy outperforms the Sony sensor? Andddd that Samsung went with the Sony sensor alongside their own sensor mainly because they weren't able to produce enough sensors for their flagships?? And I always knew you were brainless zombie, but never knew you were a crystal gazer as well.

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 6:49 AM 17

22. xdza1979

Posts: 296; Member since: Aug 08, 2015

Same troll, different accounts..

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 7:50 AM 4

10. sergiobr

Posts: 718; Member since: Feb 25, 2013

The manufacturers are getting close to 1" as Nokia did with 808 (1/1.2"). But we have to wait, because they won't kill the golden goose. Bring us the big sensors Sammy !!!

posted on Nov 04, 2015, 4:54 AM 2

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