Huawei P50 - and presumably Google Pixel 6 - will allegedly feature a one-inch Sony sensor
Sony will unveil a one-inch mobile sensor called IMX800 in April, claims leaker Teme.
It would be the first one-inch sensor built specifically for a smartphone. 2014's Panasonic Lumix CM1 also had a one-inch sensor but that unit was originally made for cameras and the device was touted as a communication camera that ran Android, not a smartphone.
Teme, who usually breaks news related to Huawei products, has also hinted that the upcoming P50 series will be the first to feature the Sony IMX800.
Last year's P40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro are equipped with the 1/1.28-inch Sony IMX700 module.
The tipster also suggests that all three models will use the Sony IMX800 as the main sensor, which will be joined by ultra-wide and telephoto units on the P50, and ultra-wide and periscope modules on the P50 Pro. The specced-out model will apparently also add a ToF unit to the mix.
Twitter tipster Anthony (@TheGalox_) claims that the Pixel 6 will finally use a new sensor and we wonder if they are referring to the IMX800. The Pixel 5, Pixel 4, and Pixel 3 all use the Sony IMX363 sensor, and ex-Google executive Marc Levoy, who was the brains behind Pixel's computational photography, had previously suggested that Google would use a new unit when Sony or some other company comes out with a sensor that has a lower read noise than existing solutions.
The larger size of the IMX800 should theoretically allow it to take better images in low-light, capture a greater dynamic range of tones, and achieve more background blur. It apparently has a resolution of 50MP and will feature a RYYB color filter.
It would be the first one-inch sensor built specifically for a smartphone. 2014's Panasonic Lumix CM1 also had a one-inch sensor but that unit was originally made for cameras and the device was touted as a communication camera that ran Android, not a smartphone.
Last year's P40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro are equipped with the 1/1.28-inch Sony IMX700 module.
The tipster also suggests that all three models will use the Sony IMX800 as the main sensor, which will be joined by ultra-wide and telephoto units on the P50, and ultra-wide and periscope modules on the P50 Pro. The specced-out model will apparently also add a ToF unit to the mix.
Main + ultra wide + tele
— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) February 24, 2021
Main + Ultra wide + periscope
Main + Ultra wide + tele + periscope + ToF https://t.co/5IWs05O3p6
Samsung's recently announced 50MP ISOCELL GN2 sensor is 1/1.12-inches and it features 1.4μm-sized pixels. Its latest 108MP sensor, which has 0.8μm-sized pixels, is 1/1.33-inches. The South Korean giant is believed to be working on a 600MP sensor with 0.8µm pixels. It measures 1/0.57-inches and is unsurprisingly considered too thick for smartphones at the moment.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: