Samsung has announced two brand new image sensors for smartphones & other IOT applications that belong to their ISOCELL series. So, these sensors have different type of configurations compared to each other. The Fast 2L9 has a 12MP Dual Pixel Sensor while the Slim 2X7 is a 24MP Tetracell sensor. Let’s dig into the features one by one now…
ISOCELL Fast 2L9
In the Fast 2L9, Samsung has reduced the Pixel Size from 1.4 μm to 1.28 μm. By doing this Samsung claims to deliver faster autofocus using the Dual-pixel auto focus technology & also make the sensor slimmer so, the manufacturers can cut off the Camera bumps from their devices.
Now, the sensor is again a 12 Megapixel one what we have been seeing in all the Samsung flagships since the Galaxy S7 series so, we can hope to see this exact same sensor in the next Flagship from Samsung which will undoubtedly be recognized as the Galaxy S9. Also, the Fast 2L9 is claimed to provide much improved Shallow Depth-Of-Field effect with it’s improved Dual-pixel technology even with just a single lens camera.
So, undoubtedly the Google Pixel 2’s camera sensor is the target competitor to the 2L9 which is another strong reason for why Samsung may use this sensor in the main Camera of the S9. If this indication is true then, the S9 will again feature a single camera on the back but, will be capable to produce a much better bokeh effect compared to the S8.
ISOCELL Slim 2X7
The ISOCELL Slim 2X7 however, does not fall in the same category as the Fast 2L9. It is the first smartphone sensor to feature a pixel size of 0.9 μm that’s the smallest in any smartphone sensor ever. In theory this shall translate to a much thin sensor size for smaller or no camera bumps but, also degrade the low light performance a bit. But, according to Samsung, the 2X7 is able to provide good low-light performance while reducing the noise levels by using the Tetracell technology built in this sensor.
What Tetracell does is that, it combines four neighboring adjacent pixels with a re-mosaic algorithm to provide a better light sensitivity. This shall result in much brighter & less noisy images in darker environments. It’s kinda similar to what HTC does with their Ultra Pixel technology but, Samsung has build the compatibility right into the sensor instead to relying on the software completely.
We don’t have any idea if Samsung is planning to use the Slim 2X7 sensor in their Flagships or not but, there’s is a 99.999% chance that this sensor will not be used as the main sensor of the S9. They may use this as the Secondary sensor in the Note 9 but, I think it is too early to comment anything on that.
Both of the 2L9 & the 2X7 sensors can be placed in both the Front & the Rear cameras of a Smartphone so, we may soon see one or more Selfie focused devices by Samsung or other Manufacturers using these sensors in their Selfie shooters. Anyway, the features look quite promising but, we have to test them out in real real life to confirm how good these sensors really are.
Source: Samsung
