Tokyo, Japan—Sony unveiled its latest stacked CMOS image sensor for smartphone cameras. The IMX586 sensor features 48 effective megapixels (8,000×6,000 pixels).
Moreover, the sensor achieves “a world-first ultracompact pixel size of 0.8 μm, making it possible to pack 48 effective megapixels onto a 1/2-type (8.0 mm diagonal) unit,” the company announced. As a result, the Sony sensor supports “enhanced imaging on smartphone cameras.”
IMX586 Features
The sensor features “a pixel count which rivals that of high-performance SLR cameras. This makes it possible to capture beautiful, high-resolution images even with a smartphone,” Sony added.
Side-by-Side Sensor Comparison
Left: Conventional image (12 effective megapixels). Right: IMX586 image (48 effective megapixels)
The new smartphone sensor also uses the Quad Bayer color filter array. The Bayer array enables high-sensitivity shooting. Moreover, during low-light shooting, signals from the four adjacent pixels are added. This effectively raises the sensitivity level to a 1.6 μm-pixel equivalent (12MP) to produce bright as well as low-noise images. sony.com