Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera sensor officially launched

Samsung has just introduced its third 200MP camera sensor, the ISOCELL HP2. It has 200 million 0.6μm pixels using a 1/1.3-inch optical format. This is the sensor size deployed for the 108MP main smartphone camera, providing a high-resolution camera in a compact size. The ISOCELL HP2 is currently in mass production.

The sensor uses advanced pixel binning technology called Tetra2pixel. This allows the sensor to change pixel size depending on the external lighting conditions. In low light, the sensor captures 50MP images at 1.2μm (4:1 pixel binning) or 12.5MP images at 2.4μm (16:1 pixel binning).

ISOCELL HP2 helps Galaxy S23 Ultra take better photos in low light environments

"For 8K video, at approximately 33MP, the HP2 switches to 1.2μm 50MP mode to minimize cropping and capture more of the scene. Shooting 8K at 30 fps, the wide field of view coupled with larger pixel size can produce videos as sharp as professional cinema cameras," Samsung added.

Samsung's new Dual Vertical Transfer Gate (D-VTG) technology enhances color reproduction and reduces overexposure, resulting in less blurry photos when taken in bright lighting conditions.

HP2's Super QPD feature uses all 200 million pixels of the sensor to improve focusing in low light environments. As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has faster and more accurate autofocus even in low light.

Samsung adds that "Using rich sample data along with an absolute number of reference points, the new sensor is capable of fast autofocus, even in low-light environments." The HP2 will use DSG in 50MP mode to improve HDR photos on the phone. Smart-ISO Pro will allow the camera to capture 12.5MP photos and 4K video at 60fps in HDR.

“Samsung ISOCELL HP2 leverages Samsung’s high-resolution image sensor technologies and cutting-edge technology to produce stunning detail,” said JoonSeo Yim, Executive Vice President of Sensor Business Team at Samsung Electronics. “Our innovative pixel technologies enable sensors that go beyond pixel count and size, putting Samsung at the forefront of the field. We will continue to open up new technologies and strengthen our position in the high-resolution sensor market.”

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the rest of the Galaxy S23 series will be unveiled at the next Samsung Unpacked event on February 1.

The 200MP ISOCELL HP1 sensor is also used in the Motorola 30 Edge Ultra and Xiaomi 12T Pro. The ISOCELL HP3, another 200MP image sensor from Samsung, was launched in June 2022.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's rear camera cluster will include a pair of telephoto cameras with 3x and 10x optical zoom capabilities.

In addition to the 200MP main camera, the Galaxy S23 Ultra phone will likely be equipped with a pair of 10MP telephoto cameras: one telephoto camera will have 3x optical zoom and the other will be capable of 10x optical zoom. There will also be a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 12MP front selfie camera.

The top-end model will feature a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 1440x3880 QHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 overclocked SoC is paired with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The device also packs a 5,000mAh battery, supporting 45W wireless and 15W wired fast charging.

If you want to follow the Samsung Unpacked event, you can watch it on Samsung's YouTube channel, the Samsung Newsroom website, and the company's website. The event starts at 9 p.m. ET and runs until 1 a.m.

According to VOV