Samsung and Xiaomi partner on first 100-plus megapixel mobile image sensor

Korean chaebol Samsung, in partnership with fellow Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi, has announced the creation of the first mobile imager sensor to exceed 100 Mp.

The ISOCELL Bright HMX supersedes Samsung’s previous highest offering of 64 Mp. In its 12 August press release, Samsung described the 108 Mp sensor as the result of close collaboration with Xiaomi.

“Samsung is continuously pushing for innovations in pixel and logic technologies to engineer our ISOCELL image sensors to capture the world as close to how our eyes perceive them,” said Yongin Park, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “Through close collaboration with Xiaomi, ISOCELL Bright HMX is the first mobile image sensor to pack over 100 million pixels and delivers unparalleled color reproduction and stunning detail with advanced Tetracell and ISOCELL Plus technology.”

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Samsung’s ISOCELL technology was first announced in 2013, and has gone through a number of iterations since. Samsung emphasised the capability of the latest sensor beyond raw pixel power, with features including low light capabilities and automatic ISO switching. Also supported is 6K, 30 frames-per-second video.

“For ISOCELL Bright HMX, Xiaomi and Samsung have worked closely together from the early conceptual stage to production that has resulted in a groundbreaking 108Mp image sensor. We are very pleased that picture resolutions previously available only in a few top-tier DSLR cameras can now be designed into smartphones,” said Lin Bin, co-founder and president of Xiaomi. “As we continue our partnership, we anticipate bringing not only new mobile camera experiences but also a platform through which our users can create unique content.”

Although slated to go into mass production later this month, neither company revealed which smartphones the sensor would be included with. As reported by XDA Developers, rumours suggest it could feature inside the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 4.