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This article was published on December 7, 2020

Samsung is reportedly prepping a 600-megapixel sensor


Samsung is reportedly prepping a 600-megapixel sensor Image by: IceUniverse

If you think the megapixel race of the phone cameras is over, you’re totally wrong. We’ve seen phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro sport 108-megapixel sensors this year. We’re also waiting on a rumored 192-megapixel snapper.

However, a truly astonishing rumor is that Samsung developing an unbelievable 600-megapixel sensor. According to tipster Ice Universe, this sensor is already in the works, and it’ll be 1/0.57-inches in size. Currently, Huawei’s P40 Pro+ has the largest sensor in the market at 1/1.28-inches.

In the past, we’ve seen bigger sensors such as Panasonic’s 1-inch sensor and Nokia Pureview 808’s 1/1.2-inch sensor. While higher megapixels are one part of capturing detailed images, the size of the sensor and individual pixels matters a lot for achieving higher image quality.

If we go by the diagram, the 600-megapixel module will be 22mm thick and will cover a large area on the back of the phone. Most phones we use today are under 10mm thick, so Samsung might not be ready to use this sensor in its current iteration.

This is not the first time we’re hearing about a 600-megapixel Samsung sensor. In April, Yongin Park, the head of Samsung’s sensor arm, said that the company is aiming to create such technology, and it’ll possibly capture more detail than the human eye can see. However, it might a while before we see this monstrous sensor mounted on a circuit board. 

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