Samsung‘s first 1-inch camera sensor may be getting closer to launch. No, not the 400MP cameras we have heard about in the past—which may not be for smartphones. Instead, the company is readying a proper 200MP 1-inch ISOCELL camera for smartphones, possibly for future Galaxy flagships. Samsung could announce it next year.
Samsung has a 200MP 1-inch camera in the pipeline
While Sony has already released 1-inch smartphone cameras, Samsung has been prioritizing higher-resolution sensors. The Korean firm debuted its first 200MP camera in 2021 and followed up with multiple refined versions in 2022 and 2023. It is now said to be working on two new sensors exceeding a 400MP resolution.
Those may have an optical format size of one inch or even bigger. However, Samsung could be developing them for non-smartphone applications. After all, a 400MP camera might be overkill for smartphones. But the Korean firm does appear to have a 1-inch smartphone camera in the pipeline, with a 200MP resolution.
The word comes from reputed X tipster Revegnus. They claim the unnamed ISOCELL camera has an optical format size of 1/0.98 inches and features 0.8μm pixels. It also boasts Horizontal and Vertical Dual Pixel Autofocus (H/V DPAF) and 4x in-sensor zoom (ISZ). The sensor should be fast in focusing on objects and offer lossless crop zoom at up to four times magnification.
The tipster shared no other information about the camera, not even its model number. It is unclear when the sensor will enter mass production and when it will be ready for market release. At the earliest, it may debut with the Galaxy S25 Ultra in 2025. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is just over a month away. Its 200MP camera is an improved version of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s unit (1/1.3-inch).
Earlier leaks have hinted at similar-sized 200MP cameras for the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S26 Ultra as well. The Galaxy S27 Ultra in 2027 is rumored to feature a 1/1.12-inch sensor. However, there is a lot of time to go before those phones enter production. Samsung could still make changes to the specifications and hardware components. We will let you know when we have more information.
Future Galaxy foldables may also feature 200MP cameras
Samsung also plans to equip its Fold-series foldables with a 200MP camera in the future. However, we have yet to hear about a 1-inch unit for those. Next year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is expected to keep the 50MP ISOCELL GN3 camera found on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (1/1.56-inch). In 2025, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may get a 1/1.3-inch 200MP camera with 0.5µm pixels, allegedly called the ISOCELL HP5. It remains to be seen when Samsung finally launches a 1-inch camera and which Galaxy phone debuts the big sensor.
2023-12-05 15:07:29