Sony announces IMX586, a 48MP sensor designed for smartphones!

Sony just announced a new image sensor for smartphones, the IMX586. It's a massive 48MP sensor with the world's smallest pixel size of 0.8 μm.

Sony announces IMX586

According to Sony, this 1/2-type unit can rival the performance of SLR cameras. They made it possible by using a Quad Bayer color filter array with 2x2 pixels which come in the same color. It allows the sensor to do high sensitivity shooting.

For lowlight, it will add four adjacent pixels to further increase the sensitivity that's equal to 12MP. Sony claimed that it can produce bright yet low noise images in lowlight.

It also has its own exposure control technology and signal processing functionality directly into the image sensor. It enables up to 4x greater dynamic range than conventional units.

In addition, it makes the sensor produce real-time Bayer RAW  output.

It also has a image plane phase-difference AF and HDR imaging.

For videos, it can shoot up to 4K videos at 90 fps and 1080p at 240 fps.

The new Sony IMX586 will start shipping in September. We are not yet sure who will get it first.

Source: Sony