Samsung has unveiled a new image sensor that it says has the "smallest pixel size in the industry". Called the ISOCELL Slim GH1, it's a 43.7MP (7,968×5,480) sensor that the company says will provide "the optimum solution for slim full-display devices". The sensor comes with 0.7μm pixels, which is smaller than the 0.8μm pixels on its 48MP and 64MP sensors that have started finding their way to various smartphones around the world.
Dispelling concerns about the small pixel size potentially affecting image quality adversely, Samsung says its ISOCELL Plus pixel isolation technology minimizes color cross-talk and optical loss, thereby absorbing enough light to produce bright and vivid photographs. In low-light environments, "the GH1 makes use of pixel-merging Tetracell technology that enables higher light sensitivity equivalent to that of a 1.4μm-pixel image sensor", claims the company.
The sensor supports 4K (3,840×2,160) video recording and, according to Samsung, can do so without cropping or scaling down full image resolutions. "The ISOCELL Slim GH1, with a high resolution of 7,968×5,480, is able to take 4K videos with minimum loss in field of view (FoV) ... Using Tetracell technology, the GH1 is converted down to 3,984×2,740, a resolution that snugly covers the 4K (3,840×2,160) resolution", says Samsung.
The GH1 supports a gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS) and 'Super PD' phase detection for fast and accurate auto-focus. "In addition, the real-time high dynamic range (HDR) feature delivers more balanced exposure and richer color even in mixed-light environments", said Samsung. The Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1 is expected to be in mass production by the end of this year, which means it should start showing up in smartphones in 2020.
