Samsung Announces World’s First 200MP Sensor for Telephoto Cameras

Samsung has announced three new image sensors for main and sub cameras in upcoming smartphones. Among the trio of new chips, Samsung unveiled the world’s first 200-megapixel telephoto camera sensor for mobile devices.

Samsung ISOCELL HP9: 200MP Telephoto Sensor

The ISOCELL HP9, the industry’s first 200MP telephoto sensor for smartphones, features a Type 1/1.4 format and 0.56μm pixel size. Samsung explains that the sensor has a proprietary high-refractive microlens that uses a novel material and significantly improves the sensor’s light-gathering capabilities. This works by more precisely directing light to the corresponding RGB color filter. Samsung claims this results in 12% better light sensitivity (based on signal-to-noise ratio 10) and 10% improved autofocus contrast performance compared to Samsung’s prior telephoto sensor.

“Notably, the HP9 excels in low-light conditions, addressing a common challenge for traditional telephoto cameras. Its Tetra²pixel technology merges 16 pixels (4×4) into a large, 12MP 2.24μm-sized sensor, enabling sharper portrait shots — even in dark settings — and creating dramatic out-of-focus bokeh effects,” the Korean tech giant explains.