Samsung Reveals Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Secret Weapon

Samsung has announced a powerful new camera sensor that’s a perfect fit for the forthcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung launches ISOCELL HP2 200-megapixel image sensor for flagship smartphones

SAMSUNG

Announced today, the new Isocell HP2 is a 1/1.3” sensor packing a whopping 200 megapixels, specs that tally exactly with information already leaked about Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Importantly, the Isocell HP2 offers many significant improvements beyond a simple doubling in resolution – some of which rely on a 200-megapixel sensor to work out mathematically.

Isocell HP2 expands Samsung’s range of 200-megapixel sensors to three, alongside the existing HP1 and HP3 sensors, and has already entered mass production. However, only the new Isocell HP2 matches these previously leaked specifications and is, therefore, highly likely to be the one chosen for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Slightly smaller than the current Isocell HP1 sensor, the Isocell HP2 is designed to match the physical format used by 108-megapixel sensors, such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Further marking it out as the obvious successor for the Galaxy S Ultra range.

Samsung has already promised improved nighttime photography and astrophotography from its next-gen flagship, as revealed in a promo video accompanying the recent launch of pre-orders for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Now, it looks highly likely that the claimed ‘epic detail and color reproduction’ of the Isocell HP2 will be making its way to that smartphone too.

When compared to the existing Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung’s new sensor offers faster capture for both stills and video, with 200-megapixel photos captured at up to 15 shots per second, compared to 10 shots per second at 108 megapixels on the current model.

Crucially, it also has the ability to switch between 200, 50 and 12.5 megapixels to achieve the best balance between maximum detail and maximum low-light performance. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, can shoot at either 108 megapixels or 12.5 megapixels, missing out on the new 50-megapixel mode that appears to hit the sweet spot.

Furthermore, video can be captured at up to 480 fps at 1080p — twice as fast as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, while both max out at 30 fps for 8K video and 120 fps at 4K. The Isocell HP2, however, is able to shoot 8K video using its new 50-megapixel mode, using more of the sensor’s surface area and bigger effective pixels to improve quality.

InstagramSamsung Semiconductor on Instagram: “See for yourself the difference 200 megapixels can make. With ISOCELL HP2, you can zoom as far as you want into a photo, and the quality will still be crystal clear. Who needs a zoom lens? #MorePixelsEpicDetails #InspiredByISOCELL”

Samsung’s new ‘Dual Vertical Transfer Gate’ technology also promises to improve each pixel’s maximum light capacity by ‘more than 33 percent’. This promises the ability to capture brighter scenes with more accurate color and without overexposure.

The new sensor also offers a new ‘Super QPD’ auto-focus technology, which means all 200 million pixels can deliver focusing data can be pixel binned into 2-by-2 superpixels that recognize both horizontal and vertical pattern changes. Samsung claims Super QPD will enable fast auto-focusing ‘even in a dimly lit environment.’

While simply upgrading from 108 megapixels to 200 megapixels could easily be dismissed as a gimmick, Samsung’s Isocell HP2 appears to offer several improvements that could make a real difference to quality. So much so that I’d be very disappointed not to see this new sensor appear in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

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