Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced the ISOCELL HP1, the industry’s first 200-megapixel (MP) image sensor with 0.64μm pixels, and ISOCELL GN5, the first image sensor to adopt all-directional focusing Dual Pixel Pro technology with two photodiodes in a single 1.0μm pixel.

“Samsung has been pioneering ultrafine pixel technologies that are taking high-resolution image sensors to the next level,” said Duckhyun Chang, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “With the ISOCELL HP1 that is breaking barriers and ISOCELL GN5 bringing ultrafast auto focus, Samsung will continue to lead the trend for next-generation mobile imaging technologies.”

ISOCELL HP1: Capture the World in Breathtaking 200MP and Crystal Sharp 8K Video

The ISOCELL HP1 is the industry’s first mobile image sensor to support 200MP. Based on Samsung’s most advanced 0.64μm-sized pixels, the ISOCELL HP1 brings such ultrahigh resolution in a small package that fits comfortably in today’s handheld devices. With the ISOCELL HP1, pictures hold an astonishing amount of detail that helps the image stay sharp even when cropped or resized.

For ultimate low-light photography, the ISOCELL HP1 features an all-new Tetra²pixel** technology, a pixel-binning technology that uses a two-by-two, four-by-four or full pixel layout depending on the environment. In a low-lit environment, the HP1 transforms into a 12.5MP image sensor with large 2.56μm pixels by merging 16 neighboring pixels. The newly formed 2.56μm pixel is capable of more light absorption and sensitivity, producing brighter and clearer photos in in-doors or in the evening. In bright outdoor environments, the sensor’s 200-million pixels can capture ultra-high-definition photography on mobile devices.

The ISOCELL HP1 can take 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with minimum loss in the field of view. The HP1 merges four neighboring pixels to bring the resolution down to 50MP or 8,192 x 6,144 to take 8K (7,680 x 4,320) videos without the need to crop or scale down the full image resolution.

ISOCELL GN5: Lock on Instantly and Take Super-Sharp Hi-Res Images With All-Directional Autofocus

The ISOCELL GN5 is the industry’s first 1.0μm image sensor to integrate Dual Pixel Pro, an all-directional autofocusing technology, that can substantially boost autofocusing capabilities. This technology places two photodiodes, the smallest in the industry, within each 1.0μm pixel of the sensor either horizontally or vertically to recognize pattern changes in all directions. With one million phase-detecting multi-directional photodiodes covering all areas of the sensor, the ISOCELL GN5’s autofocusing becomes instantaneous, enabling sharper images in either bright or low-lit environments.

The image sensor also makes use of Samsung’s proprietary pixel technology, which applies Front Deep Trench Isolation (FDTI) on a Dual Pixel product for the first time in the industry. Despite the microscopic photodiode size, FDTI enables each photodiode to absorb and hold more light information, improving the photodiodes’ full-well capacity (FWC) and decreasing crosstalk within the pixel.

Samples of Samsung ISOCELL HP1 and GN5 are currently available.

* Samsung first announced its ISOCELL technology in 2013, which reduces color crosstalk between pixels by placing a physical barrier, allowing small-sized pixels to achieve higher color fidelity. Based on this technology, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 1.0μm-pixel image sensor in 2015 and a 0.9-pixel sensor in 2017. Samsung continues to enhance its pixel isolation methods with ISOCELL Plus and ISOCELL 2.0 technologies.

** Technological term of “Tetra²pixel” was updated in July 2022.

To make sure that you never miss a moment, Samsung has further improved its autofocus technology with an entirely new system that delivers tack-sharp images in every snap. This system is called Dual Pixel Pro.

What is Phase Detection Autofocus?

To understand how Dual Pixel Pro works, it is important to first understand its foundational technology, Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF).

Just like humans use their two eyes to focus, PDAF works by comparing the phase differences in images generated by left-looking and right-looking pixels, which allows the camera to calculate the focus distance, or the place where the two phases align.

Conventional phase detection systems use special, dedicated autofocus pixels embedded throughout the sensor, typically making up just a small portion of the total pixels. To create the left-looking and right-looking images for comparison, half of each pixel is blocked with metal so that they pick up light from just one side of the lens. Using a larger number of these dedicated autofocus pixels can make phase detection faster, but also can reduce the amount of light captured, resulting in loss of image quality. That is where Dual Pixel technology takes autofocus to the next level.

Leveraging Every Pixel with Dual Pixel Autofocus

With Samsung’s Dual Pixel technology, every pixel on the sensor is used for phase detection, while simultaneously receiving color information, greatly improving both the speed and accuracy of autofocus compared to conventional systems.

Each pixel on a Dual Pixel sensor contains two photodiodes, one left-looking, one right-looking. When capturing a scene, the phases from each pair of photodiodes are compared to achieve autofocus in just milliseconds. Since every pixel in the sensor is being used for both autofocus and color values, the sensor can achieve snappy autofocus without losing image quality.

Dual Pixel Pro Delivers Next-Gen Autofocus

Dual Pixel Pro takes autofocus to a new level. It uses green pixels that divide photodiodes with a diagonal structure. These diagonally-split pixels compare the phase differences between the top and bottom of the pixel in addition to phase differences in the left and right sides.

As a result, Dual Pixel Pro delivers fast and accurate autofocus even under difficult conditions, such as low-lighting or fast-moving subjects. It also addresses certain limitations of Dual Pixel technology, which struggles to differentiate between the left and right sides of patterns such as parallel horizontal stripes. The addition of top and bottom phase detection means your camera can better distinguish these patterns, making it capable of quickly grabbing focus even when your subject is wearing a patterned shirt with horizontal lines.

From the glance of a loved-one, to an awe-inspiring firework display, our most precious memories are often fleeting. ISOCELL image sensors armed with the Dual Pixel Pro autofocus system ensure your favorite moments will never pass you by again.

“ISOCELL image sensors and its technologies have made vast improvements to deliver the quality and performance one would expect from top-tier prograde cameras,” said Duckhyun Chang, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “Our new ISOCELL GN2 features Dual Pixel Pro, an innovative all-direction auto-focusing solution that elevates the agility to capture moments as they unfold. Adding on Smart ISO Pro and a variety of advanced pixel technologies, pictures from GN2 are more true-to-life than ever.”

The 1/1.12-inch ISOCELL GN2 is a highly versatile image sensor when it comes to image resolutions. With 50 million 1.4μm-sized pixels on hand, the GN2 offers exceptionally detailed photographs in regular settings. In low-lit environments such as indoors, the sensor can simulate a larger 2.8μm-pixel with four-pixel-binning technology to absorb more light, delivering brighter and sharper images.

For those who appreciate more detail in photographs or are prone to post-processing such as image cropping, the GN2 offers an option to take pictures in 100Mp resolutions. In 100Mp mode, the GN2 meticulously re-arranges the color pixels using an intelligent re-mosaic algorithm, creating three individual layers of 50Mp frames in green, red and blue. These frames are then up-scaled and merged to produce a single ultra-high 100Mp resolution photograph.

The ISOCELL GN2 is Samsung’s first image sensor to offer Dual Pixel Pro, the company’s most advanced phase-detection auto-focus solution yet. By employing two photodiodes within every pixel of the image sensor, Dual Pixel Pro makes use of one hundred million phase detecting agents for ultra-fast auto-focusing. In addition, the solution also offers all-direction focusing by splitting the pixels not only vertically, as with Dual Pixel, but also diagonally. This diagonal cut allows the focusing agents to better recognize the top and bottom of the frame, allowing the sensor to get in focus quickly even when there are no pattern changes in a horizontal direction. Low-light focusing and tracking of moving objects are improved as well, as every pixel of the sensor works as focusing agents.

For taking pictures in mixed-light environments, such as sunsets or indoors with daylight coming through a window, the GN2 increases its dynamic range with a staggered-HDR feature, a time-multiplexed HDR technology that uses rolling shutters over the same pixel arrays to capture multiple frames in short, middle, and long exposures. By maximizing the dynamic range, staggered-HDR ensures rich detail and vivid color in highlights and dark shadows within the scene, making it an ideal solution for shooting high-contrast sights. Staggered-HDR is able to reduce the energy consumption of a sensor by up to 24-percent when compared to the predecessor’s real-time HDR mode, contributing to improved energy efficiency of the overall system.

The GN2 also comes with Smart ISO and Smart ISO Pro. Smart ISO intelligently sets the sensor’s conversion gain, allowing the picture to be taken using an optimal ISO; low ISO for brighter outdoors or high for dimmer indoors. Unlike Smart ISO, which uses readouts from a single ISO per picture, Smart ISO Pro, which uses an intra-scene dual conversion gain (iDCG) solution, takes readouts from both high and low ISO to instantly create high dynamic range images with less motion-artifacts. In addition, in extreme low-light, Smart ISO Pro quickly takes and processes multiple frames in high ISO, raising the light sensitivity close to one-million ISOs and taking mobile night photography to greater heights.

Camera experiences can be more fun and creative with the GN2, where precious moments can be captured more dramatically and everyday events can be turned into short videos. The GN2 supports full-HD videos at 480 frames-per-second (fps) or 4K at 120fps, enabling wider possibilities for mobile video-shooting.

Samsung ISOCELL GN2 is currently in mass production.