Sony makes a wide range of digital cameras and today announced a new CMOS image sensor that promises to greatly increase the quality of images that are taken on mobile devices.
The new sensor is the world's first 16.41-megapixel Exmor R back-illuminated image sensor for a mobile phone. Sony plans to launch two new lens modules that use the new sensor and those sensors will be the smallest and thinnest for Mobile phones and marks the first time for the Exmor R to be used in camera phones.
The technical name for the new 1/2.8 back illuminated CMOS senor is the IMX081PQ. Another offering in the family is the IMX105PQ with the same back-illuminated sensor and a lower 8.13-megapixel resolution. Both of the sensors will be used in mobile phones. The new sensors will be commercialized inside the IU081F and IU105F2 compact autofocus lens modules for phones with limited space. The IU081F is hailed as the industry's smallest and thinnest autofocus lens module at 10.5mm W x 8.5mm D x 7.9mm H and packs in the full resolution 16.41-megapixel CMOS sensor.
The lesser resolution IU105F2 also claims a smallest and lightest title for its size of 8.5mm W x 8.5mm D x 5.67mm H with 8.13-megapixel resolution. The sensors also boast the industry's smallest unit pixel size of 1.12μm. Small images taken with the new sensors show that they perform much better than conventional images sensors with sharper resolution and significantly improved performance in low light.
The IMX081PQ CMOS sensor is capable of shooting in full resolution at 15fps, half resolution at 30fps, and 1/8 resolution at 120fps. HD modes include 1080-30P and 720-60P.
Sony offers no indication of when these new lenses and sensors will find their way into mobile phones.
Source: DailyTech