Samsung System LSI has recently added an additional ISOCELL 200MP camera to its portfolio. It's named ISOCELL HPX and features include 8K video recording at 30 frames per second and Tetra 2 Pixel binning technology, allowing 12.5MP and 50MP resolution modes for different lighting conditions.
As you may have heard earlier rumors, the next Galaxy S23 Ultra should feature a primary camera 200MP. However, ISOCELL HPX probably does not. Samsung announced the HPX exclusively in China, and the sensor appears to have been built for System LSI customers in the Far Eastern country. We may never see it on a Galaxy device intended for the global market (or at all), but for what it's worth, you can find more specifications below.
Samsung ISOCELL HPX specifications
Assuming that ISOCELL HPX is reserved for smartphones developed by Chinese brands, this is likely not a great loss for the rest of the world. Through the looks of it, Samsung concentrated mainly on the number of pixels and creating a small sensor at the cost of performance in low light conditions. The company revealed that the HPX ISOCELL has small 0.56 micron pixels, and one of the major selling points is that the sensor can have an area reduced by 20%.
The sensor can take advantage of the 200 MP resolution in bright areas. However, it can also use pixel aggregation technology to convert to 1.12 micron pixels for 50 MP shooting modes in more unfavourable lighting conditions.
Additionally, it can combine even more pixels in a single pixel of 2.24 microns for a 12.5MP mode in low-light environments, Samsung says.
Additional features available for the 200MP ISOCELL HPX include 8K video recording at 30 fps, 4K and FHD recording, dual HDR, Smart ISO, and Super QPD autofocus.
Once again, the ISOCELL HPX seems designed for Samsung customers in China and may not be used by the Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, since the Galaxy S23 Ultra is unofficial and the rumor of having a large 200MP camera, only time will tell what it will be. Earlier rumors mentioned ISOCELL HP2.
