Samsung’s 108-megapixel camera sensor is now official

Last week, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi hinted it would launch a phone with a 108-megapixel camera sometime in the future. 

Now, we know some details on the sensor that phone’s going to have. 

Called the ISOCELL Bright HMX, the new sensor is a collaboration between Xiaomi and Samsung, and offers features, Samsung claims, that were so far reserved for high-end DSLR cameras. This includes a 108-megapixel maximum resolution for photos, and 6K (6,016×3,384 pixel) video recording at 30 frames-per-second. The sensor’s massive (for phones) 1/1.33-inch size allows it to have 0.8 micron pixels, just like Samsung’s 64-megapixel camera sensor (which, by the way, is yet to appear in a commercially available phone). 

The ISOCELL Bright HMX will come with Samsung’s Tetracell tech that uses pixel binning to create very bright, 27-megapixel images. The sensor also comes with Smart-ISO tech that automatically adjusts ISO levels depending on the lighting conditions. 

All of this goodness is coming to phones quite soon, as Samsung will begin mass production for the ISOCELL Bright HMX “later this month.” 

In its recent announcement, Xiaomi offered no details on when it’ll launch the first 108-megapixel phone, but it’s quite possible that it will be the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 4, which is likely to launch this fall.