Mobile Photography Set For Major Quality Bump With Sony's 48-Megapixel Sensor (newatlas.com)

Smartphone camera sensors and lenses have to operate in a very tight space, but they continue to close the gap on full-size digital cameras year after year. Sony's new IMX586 sensor boasts a 48-megapixel resolution, the highest yet for a mobile sensor, and should be coming to a phone near you soon. From a report: That increased resolution shrinks the pixel size down to 0.8 microns, which would usually lead to lower sensitivity and poor light collection. However, thanks to some smart technology called a Quad Bayer array -- where neighboring pixels are intelligently combined -- Sony says the effective pixel size is 1.6 microns. The bigger the pixel size, the better the light capture and low-light performance. In comparison, the Google Pixel 2 -- one of the best photo-taking phones on the market right now -- has a camera with a 1.4-micron pixel size. On paper, that means Sony has managed to produce a sensor that combines a huge amount of detail with excellent light capture and low noise levels as well. We'll have to wait until the sensor is actually on the market to know for sure, but the signs are good.

Comments

wrong metric

[supernova87a]

Look, stop with the pixel count arms race. We all know that that's what the vast majority of consumers can understand, but for anyone caring about the details, it's relatively meaningless as a comparator.

If you blow up your photos to the pixel level, you'll find that it's not the pixel count that's making them look bad, it's the pixel-to-pixel noise and compression and color fringing, for example.

We don't need 48 MP taking up space on our phones and hard drives. For camera phone lenses, compressions, 24 MP is already enough. Anything more than that (if photography is your livelihood for example) and you should be relying on a DSLR.

can the lenses keep up?

[Cederic]

The ability of the lenses to provide a sharp image at that (actual) pixel density is going to need some serious optical design. The sort that usually costs more than the whole phone.

Why not just use the quad bayer array with fewer pixels and give mobile phones an actual low light capability for once.

Yeah, pixel war...

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

You know the auto industry was having this pissing contest about the 0-60 times. Basic problem is, the IC engine has zero torque and zero power below the idle speed. All kinds of mechanical contraptions and gymnastics, making the engine bigger and bigger, so much bigger rest of the car body and the driver form an insignificant things strapped on to a huge monstrous engine with 8, 10, 12, or even 16 cylinders....

Then came in the electrics, the puny wheezy golf cart electrics.... Beats them hollow in their own game. An electric SUV beats an Alpha Romeo Spyder, while towing an Alpha Romeo Spyder!

Wish someone will make a CCD with a dynamic range 3 orders of mag better than the crappy ones we have.