Samsung's new 50-megapixel camera sensor packs in faster autofocus

Samsung has a new 50-megapixel camera sensor, and its primary focus is, well, its autofocus—and high resolution, of course. The Samsung ISOCELL GN1, which has entered mass production this month, is its first camera sensor that includes both dual-pixel autofocus and Tetracell pixel-binning. This means that smartphones that come with this sensor should offer fast performance and decent low-light image quality.

With a pixel size of 1.2μm, you get a sensor that's more typical to phone camera sensors that then high-resolution sensors we've seen lately. By default, the ISOCELL GN1 can take 12.5-megapixel photos with four pixels binned into one. And with dual-pixel phase-detection autofocus, we're expecting to see improved autofocus performance with this sensor. Samsung also equipped this chip with Smart-ISO, real-time HDR, and electronic image stabilization. If it delivers on these points, the Samsung ISOCELL GN1 gives users better smartphone camera options.

Source: The Verge + GSMArena

LG patent suggests a smartphone with a penta-camera is coming

The last internationally released five-camera-toting smartphone was HMD's Nokia 9 PureView. But this configuration got a refresh with the recent launch from Chinese company Xiaomi, who just unveiled the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro/Xiaomi Mi Note 10. And if we follow this LG patent, it looks like the South Korean company wants a piece of the action, too.

The plans seem to have been a long time coming. The patent was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization back in March 2018. It was only approved in May of this year. The cameras at the back look to be arranged with three lenses vertically and two lenses horizontally. There also looks to be an LED flash thrown in there at the center of the two lenses.

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OPPO’s under-screen camera won’t be mass-produced this year

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Chinese smartphone maker OPPO previously announced it’s working on under-screen camera technology. The company is even ready to show off its prototype at the upcoming MWC Shanghai 2019. But if you’re thinking it’ll show up in actual products coming out this year, then we’re going to disappoint you. OPPO’s VP Shen Yiren said the complexity involved with making the under-screen camera means it’ll be hard to mass produce this by the end of the year. And that there is a certain image quality loss associated with this new camera technology. So perhaps just like in-display fingerprint readers that needed time to improve, we’re going to have to be a bit more patient for under-screen cameras to show up. Another Chinese company Xiaomi has said it’s working on its own under-screen camera, but it hasn’t mentioned mass production yet. For now, we’re stuck with notches and pop-up cameras.

Source: GizChina

Oppo introduces 10x Lossless Zoom concept

Oppo may not have a presence here, but the Chinese company is working on something you will want to pay attention to. Ahead of Mobile World Congress 2019, it just showed its 10x Lossless Zoom concept at its Oppo Innovation Event in Barcelona. It debuted in a prototype device a three-camera system that has wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens, which gives you a total range of 16-160mm. It will also use a 6.76mm-thick camera module, which makes room for a larger sensor that can let more light in and boost image quality.

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