Sony makes a sharp mobile camera sensor of 48 megapixels
Sony has developed a new sensor with the IMX586 for smartphone cameras that count no less than 48 megapixels. That is the highest number ever in a mobile camera system. At this moment the Huawei P20 Pro has a camera sensor of 40 megapixels and that is the highest number so far. The iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9 both have a camera with 12 megapixels, so the difference is big.
It is not that more megapixels automatically produce better photos. Light sensitivity is much more important in the eyes of many photographers, because if it is not good, more pixels will only produce more noise. Sony also thought of that: they have developed a special filter that ensures that the light sensitivity of the pixels is increased and that the noise should be kept to a minimum according to Sony.
Actually only 12 megapixels
Effective does not mean that you can take huge pictures with your phone, but that you get a lot of sharper and clearer photos at a resolution of 12 megapixels (the usual size for photos from a mobile phone) you can see, as you can see in the example above. In many cases, you will not be able to distinguish the difference between a photo taken with this sensor from a (digitally) improved photo, but if you zoom in, the difference is really visible.
The sensor also lets you record videos in 4K resolution at 90 frames per second, 240 frames at 1080p or even a spectacular 480 frames per second, if you’re satisfied with an image size of 720p. The new sensor will be delivered by Sony from the end of this year to smartphone manufacturers, which means that you can expect the new sensor in devices from the beginning of 2019. Who Sony customers are for the new sensor is not known at the moment, but chances are that you will first see it in an Xperia device.