Samsung, 200 megapixel ISOCELL HPC announced its mobile camera sensor with DeepPix technology, single frame 16 bit HDR and high frame rate video support. The 1/1.3 type sensor uses 0.6 micrometer pixels and Samsung has achieved Full Well Capacity compared to the previous generation, thanks to DeepPix. increases by 60 percent. In addition, the sensor offers 180 fps video at 4K resolution and in-sensor HDR zoom support up to 4x. The company has not yet announced the first phone to use this sensor.
Samsung’s 200 megapixel sensor efforts do not start with ISOCELL HPC. In 2021, the company announced the first 200 MP sensor for mobile devices, ISOCELL HP1, and used a 1/1.22 type optical format in this model. Following HP1’s 0.64 micrometer pixels, Samsung added different options such as HP2, HP3 and HP5 to its product range. For example, the HP5 uses one of the smallest pixel values the company has achieved in the 200 MP class, with pixels of 0.5 micrometers.
The main change on the ISOCELL HPC side DeepPix appears in technology. With DeepPix, Samsung develops the pixel isolation method called FDTI and increases the electrical charge carrying capacity of the photodiode. According to the figures provided by the company, DeepPix increases the Full Well Capacity value of a single pixel by 60 percent compared to the previous generation. Thus, the sensor can hold more electrical charge in bright areas and record a wider range of data in high-contrast scenes.
Samsung also uses High Precision Microlens and High Transmittance ARL technologies to improve light reaching the photodiodes. High Precision Microlens directs incoming light to the photodiodes more precisely, while High Transmittance ARL reduces reflection and scattering. Especially with 0.6 micrometer pixels, these two technologies help the sensor use the light it receives more efficiently. Like this mobile camera sensor It improves not only in resolution but also in pixel-level light efficiency.
Samsung ISOCELL HPC enhances 200 MP resolution with DeepPix
200 megapixels The resolution allows recording much more detail in photos taken under sufficient light. When you crop a certain part of the photo later, you can preserve more pixel data than with low-resolution sensors. Samsung, on the other hand, does not use this high resolution only to produce large photos. ISOCELL HPC provides high resolution at different zoom levels by reading certain parts of the sensor.
Sensor 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x and 4x It maintains single frame HDR support at zoom levels. Samsung uses the in-sensor scaling method here and preserves HDR information at different zoom levels. Thus, the 200 MP resolution of the main camera can be used in different frames before switching to the separate telephoto camera. Especially in digital crops of 2x and above, the high pixel count of the sensor provides more data to the image processing system.
ISOCELL HPC full 7.5 frames per second at 200 MP resolution can record images. While the sensor reaches 30 frames per second in 50 MP mode, it reaches 180 frames per second at 12.5 MP resolution. These read speeds provide different options for burst shooting, HDR calculations and high frame rate image processing. Phone manufacturers can thus receive data from the sensor at different resolutions depending on the shooting mode.
On the low-light side, pixel merging technologies play an important role in how 200 MP sensors work. Samsung previously created larger virtual pixels by combining the data of neighboring pixels in models such as the ISOCELL HP1 and HP3. The company uses this method in some of its sensors. Tetra2pixel He used his name. However, in the technical information published for ISOCELL HPC, Samsung gives more space to DeepPix, Full Well Capacity and intra-sensor scaling features instead of Tetra2pixel.
On the HDR side single frame 16 bit HDR support stands out. Samsung states that this method can provide up to four times richer color expression compared to traditional HDR solutions. The system, which works on a single frame, reduces the time difference between frames compared to methods that combine images taken consecutively at different exposures. In scenes with moving objects, the sensor thus records broader brightness information over a single frame.
The data from the sensor does not alone determine the final photo of the phone. The manufacturer’s selection of lenses, image signal processor, HDR algorithms and artificial intelligence based image processing methods directly change the outcome. For this reason, even if two different brands use the same sensor, they can achieve different results in terms of color, sharpness, night shooting and HDR. ISOCELL HPC also provides raw image data that manufacturers can process with their own camera software.
On the video side, Samsung Up to 180 frames per second at 4K resolution Provides registration support. According to the company’s technical information, when PDAF autofocus, which uses all pixels, is activated, 4K recording speed reaches 120 fps. The sensor also 8K 30fps It supports video recording. These values create different usage options for slow motion video, high frame rate normal shooting and 8K recording.
ISOCELL HPC on the autofocus side SuperQPD It uses phase detection system. The sensor also supports RAW10, RAW12, RAW14 and native 16-bit RAW Provides output options. Since RAW formats transfer the data from the sensor in a less processed form, they leave more tonal information to the image processing side. Especially in HDR and professional shooting modes, it provides more data in high bit depth, brightness and color transitions.
On the other hand, 200 MP resolution requires more resources on the processor and storage side. While full-resolution photos use more space, the data stream from the sensor requires a powerful image signal processor and high memory bandwidth. That’s why phones with 200 MP cameras use lower-resolution default photo modes for most shots. The full resolution option comes into play in shots that require detail, cropping and in-sensor zoom.
Samsung yet ISOCELL is the first smartphone to use HPC did not explain. According to the information provided by SamMobile, the company has started mass production of the sensor and manufacturers are evaluating HPC for future high-end phones. Information about OPPO Find X10 suggests that the company is testing the 1/1.3 type 200 MP ISOCELL HPC sensor. Vivo and Xiaomi are also mentioned among possible customers, but these brands have not yet announced a phone using HPC.
Information about the Galaxy S27 Ultra points to another Samsung sensor. Some sources say that Samsung will have a 1/1.3 type optical format instead of HPC in the model expected at the beginning of 2027. ISOCELL HP6 states that you can use it. Samsung has not yet shared official technical information for ISOCELL HP6. Therefore, the connection between the Galaxy S27 Ultra and HP6 is based on information in leaks at this stage.
Sony is in the same resolution class LYTIA 901 officially announced its sensor. Offering a resolution of approximately 200 megapixels, the sensor uses a 1/1.12 type optical format and offers a larger photosensitive area than ISOCELL HPC. When choosing these sensors, phone manufacturers also take into account factors such as lens size, phone thickness, image processor and camera software. On the Samsung side, ISOCELL HPC maintains 1/1.3 type optical format and 0.6 micrometer pixel values.
Technical specifications announced by Samsung ISOCELL HPC It confirms 200 MP resolution, DeepPix, 60 percent higher Full Well Capacity and single frame 16 bit HDR support. The sensor adds HDR supported in-sensor zoom up to 4x, 4K 180 fps video and 8K 30 fps recording. Samsung has not yet shared the first commercial phone, its sales schedule, or the names of the manufacturers that will use the sensor. The names OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi come from news published in the industry, not from official statements at this stage.
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