Sony's new image sensor for smartphones has 48 effective megapixels

Smartphone cameras could be getting some significant quality improvements in the near future, at least according to Sony. The Japanese company has taken the wraps off its new image sensor for smartphones which packs some impressive numbers.

The IMX586 sensor features the highest-ever pixel count for any smartphone image sensor, coming in at an effective 48 megapixels. This is largely thanks to the ultra-compact pixel size of just 0.8μm, the smallest in any image sensor to date. The ultra-small pixels mean that the new image sensor comes in at just 8mm diagonal despite the impressive pixel count.

On top of the high resolution, Sony also added the Quad Bayer color filter array to the sensor, where adjacent pixels (in a 2x2 grid) come in the same color. For low-light scenarios, this means that the signal from the four pixels is combined to raise the sensitivity to that of 1.6μm pixels, making for brighter and less noisy shots with an effective 12MP pixel count. Of course, this isn't ideal for daytime shots, so the image signal processor will perform array conversion in brighter environments for more detailed images with the 48MP resolution.

Sony also says the new sensor offers four times greater dynamic range than previous products thanks to the company's exposure control and signal processing, which also enables real-time output. Better dynamic range means that pictures with both bright and darker areas should have more detailed highlights and shadows.

As for video, the sensor is able to capture 4K video at 90 frames per second, while 1080p and 720p resolutions can hit 240 and 480 frames per second, respectively.

All in all, the new IMX586 sensor does seem pretty impressive on paper, but we'll need to see how well it truly performs when it starts making its way to smartphones. Sony itself pays a lot of attention to the camera in its smartphones, so it will likely be among the first to debut the new sensor.

The company is planning to ship samples of its sensor starting in September, so it's likely that next year's flagships will begin sporting it. The sample price is 3,000 yen, which is about $27 as of the time of writing.