Key Takeaways:
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a trio of new mobile image sensors that will drastically improve the camera performance of its upcoming smartphones. One of them, a 200-megapixel sensor, may well find its way into the Galaxy S25 Ultra that will be released in early 2025.
Samsung Unveils 200MP Telephoto Sensor With Upto 12x Zoom For The Galaxy S25 Ultra
In a press release, the South Korean phone maker showed off the three image sensors: the ISOCELL HP9, ISOCELL GNJ, and ISOCELL JN5, designed for both the main and sub cameras in its smartphones.
Samsung has dubbed the ISOCELL HP9 the industry’s first 200MP telephoto sensor developed for smartphones.
The sensor has enhanced light-gathering capability that directs more light accurately to the corresponding RGB filter. This results in more vivid color reproduction, improved focus with 12% better light sensitivity, and a 10% improvement in autofocus contrast performance compared to its predecessors, found in Samsung’s existing lineup.
The HP9 also has up to 4x optical zoom within the sensor, which means that when paired with a 3x telephoto module it could reach up to a 12x zoom level. For reference, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus offer 3x optical zoom, while the high-end S24 Ultra has 5x zoom.
Most notably, the HP9 addresses a common challenge for telephoto cameras by excelling in low-light conditions. Samsung has developed a new technology for the lens that merges 16 pixels into a larger 12-megapixel sensor, enabling sharper portrait shots with dramatic out-of-focus bokeh effects even in the darkest settings.
Samsung says that with the size of main cameras in premium smartphones growing, the room for telephoto lenses is also increasing. The HP9’s large optical format makes it better suited for telephoto modules, by delivering performances in image quality, autofocus, high dynamic range (HDR), and frames per second (FPS) that match premium main cameras.
Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus To Get Two 50MP Sensors With Human Eye-Like Focusing Capabilities
Also included in the lineup are the 50MP ISOCELL JN5 and ISOCELL GNJ sensors.
The JN5 sensor is designed to capture details of moving objects with minimal blur and tackle noise in low-light conditions. Each pixel housed in its two photodiodes enables fast and accurate autofocus, similar to how the human eye focuses on a subject.
Samsung claims the camera sensor simultaneously captures full-color information for quick focusing with sustained image quality.
Meanwhile, the ISOCELL GNJ delivers an overall camera performance enhancement. This 50MP sensor utilizes a dual-pixel design to improve autofocus and combines the technology with in-sensor zoom for capturing clearer video footage and photos free of artifacts.
Samsung says the ISOCELL GNJ offers versatility across various camera configurations on its smartphones, including wide-angle, ultra-wide, front-facing, and telephoto lenses.
The sensor size and megapixel count on the ISOCELL JN5 and GNJ closely match what’s included in the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, indicating that it may well be the primary camera for the standard Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus models coming in 2025.
The Sensors Capture Accurate Colors With Fewer Distortions And Is Energy Efficient
Samsung says the improved camera sensors can capture colors more accurately, with fewer artifacts, and better preservation of details in images. They are also less power-hungry than their peers, which will help with the phone’s battery life.
The Galaxy S25 series has been rumored to be a minor upgrade over the current generation S24s. However, the new camera sensors should drastically improve the image and video quality of the upcoming Samsung flagship.
While we may have to wait another six months until the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra roll out, Samsung is gearing up to launch the new Galaxy Z series foldable smartphones – the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, which will be announced on July 10th.
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