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Samsung announces in-house 12MP dual-pixel sensor

Lars Rehm | Published: Mar 9, 2016 at 22:09 UTC

Samsung has announced a new smartphone image sensor that offers 12MP resolution, 1.4μm-pixel-size and Dual Pixel technology for fast focusing. Interestingly, those are very similar specifications to that of the Sony IMX260 sensor that has been found to be used in Samsung's new flagship smartphones S7 and S7 edge. This leaves the question if Samsung is going to use its own sensor alongside the Sony model in the S7 line, just as the Korean manufacturer did with its S6 and S6 edge predecessors.

Ben K. Hur, Vice President of Marketing, System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics had the following to say about the new chip:

“With 12 million pixels working as a phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) agent, the new image sensor brings professional auto-focusing performance to a mobile device. Consumers will be able to capture their daily events and precious moments instantly on a smartphone as the moments unfold, regardless of lighting conditions."

The Dual Pixel technology uses two photodiodes located on the left and right halves of each pixel to convert light particles into measurable photocurrent for phase detection AF. With the technology employed on every pixel of the sensor instead of only a few, Samsung promises faster and more precise AF operation, especially in low light conditions. The new sensor also comes with Samsung's ISOCELL technology that reduces cross talk between photosites in an effort to lower noise levels and produce cleaner images.

Source: Samsung

@larsrehm

Comments

Total comments: 46

http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.se/2016/03/samsung-announces-its-own-dual-pixel-af.html#comment-form

We can confirm that the stacked 12 MP camera chip from the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Model SM-G935T) purchased in the US is sourced from Sony. etc etc

0 upvotes

Thanks.

0 upvotes

Samsung's Marketing VP is Ben Hur?

That's pretty awesome.

2 upvotes

Yeah, that's why TouchWIz comes with so many extras.

1 upvote

The sensor in the S7/S7 Edge. Is it really a Sony design or actually this Samsung one manufactured by Sony like it does for other companies too?

0 upvotes

Always ship the SONY sensor to reviewer and early adapters and cheaper Samsung sensor to retail customer.

2 upvotes

Do these dualpixels have a negative impact on pixel fill factor?

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I think with a good micro lens arrangement there would not be much impact.

0 upvotes

there are other theories regarding the new sensor
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.se/2016/03/sony-imx260-in-samsung-galaxy-s7.html#comment-form

Appears to use the DBI bonding process developed by Ziptronix (bought by Tessera). Records show that Sony licensed this technology in 2011. Is this the first commercial application that Sony has produced?

0 upvotes

this is no something of a news at all, collaboration in tech sector is nothing new .. cross licensing, licensed manufacturing ( OEM ) in this case commissioned by Samsung and fulfilled by Sony. And by any mean this technology is neither Samung nor Sony innovation, nor even Canon. it was just that they bring that to consumer electronic market but the tech had been used in prior application by others for a long long time

0 upvotes

'Regardless of lighting conditions...' - Marketing hyperbole.

2 upvotes

The Samsung and Sony sensors are the same sensor. It was designed by Samsung, and manufactured under license by Sony because Samsung did not have sufficient manufacturing capacity. The Sony version is given a different name and called the IMX260 because that is the one they made, but it is Samsung's design and Samsung's sensor. The only input from Sony would be to manufacture some of them.

There is no copying or "reverse engineering" or any such nonsense involved. It is just a business decision made so that they can ensure their supply chain for the component.

3 upvotes

We have an industry insider here

1 upvote

Have you any reference for your statement?

1 upvote

Samsung sensor? Chipworks just released their analysis and it is all Sony as it has the stacked chip CMOS sensor technology which I doubt Samsung has.

Simply this announcement of Samsung is a Samsung sensor with ISOCELL technology only employing the Dual-Pixel AF. I reckon, the Sony sensor is superior as it has more likely faster readout speeds than the Samsung.

You are right with the supply issues though. Samsung might use the in-house chip supplies for the next Samsung Note and another flagship device.

2 upvotes

I have to correct myself though as this also employs the stacked chip technology, probably licensed from Sony. AF performance or read out speeds might be similar. Yet, this announcement is truly a Samsung design and sensor.

2 upvotes

Chipworks made that identification from reading web articles and seeing a Sony ribbon cable so its hardly conclusive proof. You also clearly see isocell isolation in the Chipworks teardown which could mean they got it wrong.

1 upvote

Just because the sensor includes some elements of Sony IP doesn't mean that it was designed by Sony. Things like that would be covered by cross-license agreements, which are commonplace in any industry producing complex tech products.

If you read the teardown reports you will note that they comment surprise that the sensor is not based on the usual Exmor designs Sony uses in their products. The reason for that is that Sony did not design it.

0 upvotes

But can they reverse engineer the ability to upgrade their operating system after a phone's been out for more than two years? Or will they keep leaving millions of users open to hackers?

3 upvotes

Android Project is an open source one, so hardly one would cal that a hacker's job. No one need to reverse engineer anything. The only part proprietary needed is the Hardware interface part and this part also is quite standardized. This is where Android is in that fashion more future prooof than iOS and Windows 10

1 upvote

Frank, you have no idea what you are talking about. Android is a hacker's paradise... http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/197346-google-throws-nearly-a-billion-android-users-under-the-bus-refuses-to-patch-os-vulnerability

Also this: http://m.androidcentral.com/samsung-announces-its-latest-security-update-question-when-youll-see-it

You will be lucky to get vital security updates two years from now, or really EVER in a timely fashion. Good luck with that...!

1 upvote

I think we are talking about different matter here, what I mean is not about Android not open to hack, what I mean is Android device do not need to be bound by using the factory OS and thus not bound by limit of the development, There are many indie / 3rd party ROM for various device that are update often .. But if its security, then all of iOS, Android and Window phone ( all version of them ) are all pretty open to hack and also all Device Mfr are guilty of lacking in security update. In a fashion I think this is partly to be blamed on the user. After all, once sold its also up to the user to maintain the system so can't really blame that all on Mfr or anyone else.

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Okay, dual pixel technology is great as long as it produces tangible results in AF. That remains to be seen with this sensor. 12 MP resolution seems like a good number of pixels for a tiny sensor. But how large is the sensor (1/2.3", 1/2.5", 1/3")? Size is very important to image quality. I am hoping it is at least 1/2.3".

1 upvote

Samsung is the King of Reverse engineering.

8 upvotes

Samsung is the King of reverse engineering, especially Sony technology.

4 upvotes

Samsung filed more patents than Canon last year. If they ever reverse engineer, they improvise because copy paste job cannot be patented.

1 upvote

True enough, but Samsung attracts a lot of perceptions that it reverse engineers stuff, or even creates facsimile look a likes of other manufacturers products, the chief exception being the very ugly cameras it made, a child its own mother was unable to love, and killed off after using it like a beggar uses a sad dog to lever money out of the public before moving on. Yup it's hard to be enthusiastic about Samsung even if they innovate and bring new and exciting stuff to the industry

1 upvote

Very interesting. As production grows they may slowly phase out Sony.

1 upvote

I hope Newer better sensor also released by other manufacturer.
This year is Sensor war: Which capture better image, including on low light

0 upvotes

There's a poll on XDA Already

30 people out of 45 have Sony IMX 260 and the other 15 have Samsung BRITECELL sensor

I just checked my S7 Edge got from Verizon today and I have Sony IMX 260

2 upvotes

Too bad. It looks like the Samsung produces better images this time around.

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Highly doubt Samsung have better image when ISOCELL & BRITECELL are just marketing terms for what SONY calls stacked.

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It's some kind of partnership agreement they have with Sony. They co-produce the same sensor it seems with almost no differences in image quality. In the past Sony sensors out-performed the Samsung ones, but over the last year or so, they are neck and neck. Some might even say the Samsung sensors on the Note 5 had better color accuracy than Sony. They randomly distribute which phone gets the Sony or Samsung for even the same model. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the S7s will have these sensors.

1 upvote

The 2013 Canon 70D DSLR has Dual Pixel AF, so this technology was probably licensed from Canon.

(The 2016 Canon 80D has an improved version of Dual Pixel AF.)

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Sony, Fuji has their own patent regarding dual pixel AF
can't understand why people think they must have a license from Canon, Fujis dual pixel patent is older than Canons

2 upvotes

Probably because Fuji has a hybrid pixel AF patent that covers using a small number of pixels for PDAF (like other cameras, including Canon) but improves image quality (microscopically) by picking up left over light from the PDAF pixel and using it for imaging.
OTOH, Canon has a 2010 patent filing covering using every pixel in the sensor read in two halves for PDAF and imaging at the same time, which is also what the S7 uses.

6 upvotes

Just cause it's the same description of a feature, it doesn't mean that it's trademarked to the company that popularized it first (the reason why many people wrongly think Sony and Samsung would use ancient tech from Canon). When you hear 'dual pixel', think Dual Core, or V8 engines, or French door fridges. These are common terms used to describe a feature throughout many companies. Doesn't matter who or what used it first.

2 upvotes

Samsung's press release states that their "image sensor is equipped with Dual Pixel technology that has been reserved for DSLR cameras."

That's clearly a reference to the previously mentioned Canon DSLRs.

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-elevates-mobile-phone-picture-quality-with-dual-pixel-technology-in-its-newest-image-sensor

5 upvotes

It's SamSonyNon! Or maybe Klingon? Who knows! LOL!! ;-)

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting

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Not sure why you think Fuji's patent is older than Canon's. Fuji didn't even patent their method until after the 70D was in production.

Comment edited 26 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Man if only this sensor was APS-C OR Full Frame sized!

1 upvote

Then you would get a thick phone :)

5 upvotes

Hehe, I meant for use in a digital camera :-P

1 upvote

Then it'd be the 70D or 80D

10 upvotes

Yeah, I was just teasing.

You are right, that if all dimension were scaled by a factor 4 or 6, then even the thickness of a phone, would be an impressive compact. APS-C in about an inch, or FF in 1½ inch. I would love that... :-D

2 upvotes

I would buy the hell out of a phone like that done well (wasn't impressed by the lens of the iso performance of the CM9).

It would be the 80D with the ISO performance of the Sony A7S. GIEB!

2 upvotes

Total comments: 46