OmniVision has announced OV64B 1/2″ camera sensor which the company claims is the world’s first 0.7-micron 64-megapixel image sensor which can be used in high-end ultra-thin smartphones.
In comparison, Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 64MP camera sensor is larger as it uses a 0.8-micrometer pixels on a 1/1.7-inch sensor. On the other hand, the Samsung ISOCELL Bright 48MP sensor uses 0.8-micrometer pixels on a 1/2-inch sensor.
Comparing the new sensor with Sony, the Sony IMX686 is a 64MP image sensor with a large sensor size of 1/1.7” and a pixel size of 0.8μm. The Sony IMX586 48MP camera sensor offers a pixel size of 0.8 μm onto a 1/2-type unit.
The OmniVision OV64B is built on the company’s PureCel Plus-S stacked die technology and a four-cell color filter array (CFA) with on-chip hardware for re-mosaic. Along with the 64MP resolution images, the sensor can also output 16MP images with 4x sensitivity because of the near-pixel binning which is equivalent to sensors with 1.4-micron pixels, says OmniVision. This should result in better low-light photography.
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As for the video, the sensor supports 4K video recordings with electronic image stabilisation (EIS), as well as 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps). It also has support for slow-mo capture at up to 240 fps at 1080p and 480 fps at 720p.
The OmniVision OV64B sensor feature type-2, 2×2 microlens phase detection autofocus (ML-PDAF) to boost autofocus accuracy. It also provides a CPHY interface for greater throughput using fewer pins.
As of the availability, OmniVision says the first sample units should ship out to prospective clients in May 2020. However, it remains to be seen which smartphone company adopts this sensor for their devices.
