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Posts Tagged ‘Samsung’

Report: Samsung Galaxy S11 to come with 5x telescopic zoom and 108MP main camera

26 Sep

Huawei with the P30 Pro and OPPO with the Reno are still the only manufacturers to offer folded-tele-optics in their respective smartphone camera systems. According to South Korean technology publication The Elec they might soon be joined by Samsung, though.

The company started mass production of a 5x optical zoom camera module back in May. In in its report, The Elec claims the new tele camera will debut in the next generation Galaxy S11 device and will be accompanied by a 108MP main camera.

Like other recent high-resolution smartphone sensors, the 108MP juggernaut will likely not be designed to output full resolution images but instead deliver image data that can be subjected to all sorts of computational imaging trickery, resulting in better detail, lower noise, a wider dynamic range and better zoom performance among others.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has released a video which shows the new lens design and how it works in detail. The module is only 5mm tall which means it fits even in thin smartphone bodies without protruding too much. Light is diverted onto the sensor via a prism. The latter is tilting to provide image stabilization which makes a lot of sense for the lens long maximum focal length.

Samsung launched the Note 10 flagship series with a more conventional camera not too long ago but we should be able to see the new design in the S11 models which are expected to launch sometime next spring.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung announces 43.7MP ISOCELL Slim GH1 mobile sensor with 0.7?m pixels

24 Sep

Samsung has announced its tiniest camera sensor to date, the ISOCELL Slim GH1.

Designed specifically for ‘slim full-display devices,’ the pixels measure just 0.7 micrometers (?m) each for a total 43.7-megapixels (7,968 x 5,480 pixels) of resolution. As its name suggests, the ISOCELL Slim GH1 uses Samsung’s ISOCELL Plus technology, which uses pixel isolation to minimize color cross-talk, an issue that becomes more problematic the smaller pixels get.

Samsung also notes the ISOCELL Slim GH1 offers its Tetracell technology, which uses pixel-merging methods to give the sensor ‘light sensitivity equivalent to that of a 1.4?m-pixel image sensor.’

The ISOCELL Slim GH1 is capable of recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second by using Samsung’s Tetracell technology to downsample the footage down to 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, a resolution that covers the standard resolution of 4K video (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). It also features phase detection autofocus, real-time HDR capabilities and gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS).

Samsung says it will start production of the ISOCELL Slim GH1 by the end of the year, meaning we probably won’t see it inside any devices until 2020. Based on the ‘Slim’ nomanclature and the mention of ‘selfie’ in the press release, it’s likely this particular sensor will be used as a front-facing camera, although it’s certainly not limited to such implementations.

Press release:

Samsung Introduces Industry’s First 0.7?m-pixel Mobile Image Sensor

Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1 offers 43.7 megapixels in an extremely compact package, ideal for slim full-display smartphones

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced the industry’s first 0.7-micrometer (?m)-pixel image sensor, the 43.7-megapixel (Mp) Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1. Thanks to advanced ISOELL Plus technology, the new ultra-high-resolution GH1 image sensor embraces 43.7-million 0.7?m-sized pixels in a super-small package, providing the optimum solution for slim full-display devices.

“Samsung has been stepping up in pixel technology innovation from the industry’s first 1.0?m-pixel image sensor, to most recently, 0.8?m ultra-high-resolution sensors at 64Mp and 108Mp,” said Yongin Park, executive vice president of the sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “We are pleased to deliver yet another breakthrough with the industry’s first 0.7?m pixel image sensor, the ISOCELL Slim GH1 that will enable sleeker and more streamlined designs as well as excellent imaging experiences in tomorrow’s smartphones.”

The ISOCELL Slim GH1 is the industry’s first mobile image sensor to adopt the smallest pixel size in the industry at 0.7?m. By utilizing ISOCELL Plus, Samsung’s latest pixel isolation technology that minimizes color cross-talk and optical loss, the tiny 0.7?m pixels are able to absorb sufficient light information to produce bright and vivid photographs. In low-light environments, the GH1 makes use of pixel-merging Tetracell technology that enables higher light sensitivity equivalent to that of a 1.4?m-pixel image sensor.

For video recording at 4K (3,840×2,160) resolutions, the ISOCELL Slim GH1, with a high resolution of 7,968×5,480, is able to take 4K videos with minimum loss in field of view (FoV), while most high-resolution image sensors crop or scale down full image resolutions that result in a reduced FoV. Using Tetracell technology, the GH1 is converted down to 3,984×2,740, a resolution that snugly covers the 4K (3,840×2,160) resolution, allowing users to capture more detailed backgrounds when recording high-resolution videos or selfies at 60T frames per second (fps).

For sharper photographs and video, the GH1 supports a gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS) and a high-performing phase detection auto-focus technology, Super PD, allowing fast and accurate autofocus. In addition, the real-time high dynamic range (HDR) feature delivers more balanced exposure and richer color even in mixed-light environments.

The Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1 is expected to be in mass production by the end of this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung Exynos 980 chipset supports 108MP images, 4K video at 120 fps

06 Sep

Samsung has launched its latest top-end chipset for mobile devices which will likely make an appearance in the brand’s next-generation Galaxy S and Note series smartphones. The Exynos 980’s headline features are a built-in 5G modem and plenty of processing power, but the new chip also has lots on offer for mobile photographers and creators.

The chipset supports image resolutions up to 108MP which means it’s ready for use with the next generation of high-resolution Quad-Bayer-like sensors. The image signal processor supports up to five sensors and can simultaneously process the output from three, allowing for advanced image-merging and other computational imaging methods.

There is also a built-in neural processing unit (NPU) which is specially designed to run artificial intelligence tasks. On the camera side of things, this is used for scene and object detection and subsequent optimization of camera parameters.

Exynos 980 powered mobile devices will also be able to encode and decode 4K video at 120 frames per second (fps). Support for HDR10+ with dynamic mapping should result in better color rendering in video clips.

There’s no definitive timeline for when this chipset will be released, but it’s safe to say Samsung’s future smartphones will likely be the first to showcase it.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung officially unveils 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX mobile camera sensor

13 Aug

Samsung has officially announced the 108-megapixel camera sensor first teased by Chinese company Xiaomi last week. The new Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX is the first mobile camera sensor that offers more than 100 megapixels, exceeding the company’s recently announced 64MP sensor. Samsung says the ISOCELL Bright HMX is the fruit of a ’close collaboration’ with Xiaomi.

The ISOCELL Bright HMX is the first mobile sensor to feature a 1/1.33″ size, according to Samsung, which says its Tetracell tech enables the HMX to ‘imitate big-pixel sensors’ for better quality 27MP images.

The 1/1.33″ format equates to around 9.6 x 7.2mm, which is around 40% smaller than a 1″-type sensor, but nearly 3 times larger than the 1/2.5″-type chips in the many of smartphones. The Tetracell design, much like Sony’s ‘Quad Bayer’ technology, places four pixels under each color of its color filter, making it easy to combine pixels to give better performance at 1/4 resolution, but also means additional processing needs to be done to attempt to replicate what a standard Bayer sensor would capture, if it had 108 megapixels.

Samsung’s ‘Tetracell’ tech makes low light (and, potentially, HDR) images easier to produce, but means processing is required to attempt to recreate what a standard Bayer sensor would have produced.

The sensor will be paired with what Samsung calls its Smart-ISO ‘mechanism,’ which it says toggles between a high ISO in darker environments and a low ISO in bright settings. This sounds like it may be describing a chip with more than one gain mode. Samsung claims this increases pixel saturation and the promise of ‘vivid photographs.’ The new HMX supports recording video at up to 6K 6016 x 3384 at 30fps.

Talking about the new product is Xiaomi President Lin Bin, who said:

‘We are very pleased that picture resolutions previously available only in a few top-tier DSLR cameras can now be designed into smartphones. 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.’

The company hasn’t yet revealed what those ‘new mobile camera experiences’ will be. Samsung plans to start mass-producing the ISOCELL Bright HMX in August.

Samsung Takes Mobile Photography to the Next Level with Industry’s First 108Mp Image Sensor for Smartphones

Samsung’s partnership with Xiaomi brings innovation to mobile cameras with new ISOCELL Bright HMX

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced 108 megapixel (Mp) Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX, the first mobile image sensor in the industry to go beyond 100 million pixels. With the latest addition, Samsung will expand its 0.8?m image sensor offerings from its recently announced ultra-high 64Mp to 108Mp, a resolution equivalent to that of a high-end DSLR camera. Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX is a one-of-a-kind mobile image sensor and is the result of close collaboration between Xiaomi Corp. and Samsung.

With over 100 million effective pixels enabling extremely sharp photographs rich in detail, the ISOCELL Bright HMX also produces exceptional photos even in extreme lighting conditions. Being the first mobile image sensor to adopt a large 1/1.33-inch size, the HMX can absorb more light in low-lit settings than smaller sensors and its pixel-merging Tetracell technology allows the sensor to imitate big-pixel sensors, producing brighter 27Mp images. In bright environments, the Smart-ISO, a mechanism that intelligently selects the level of amplifier gains according to the illumination of the environment for optimal light-to-electric signal conversion, switches to a low ISO to improve pixel saturation and produce vivid photographs. The mechanism uses a high ISO in darker settings that helps reduce noise, resulting in clearer pictures. For advanced filming, the HMX supports video recording without losses in field-of-view at resolutions up to 6K (6016 x 3384) 30-frames-per-second (fps).

“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.”

“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.”

Mass production for Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX will begin later this month.

* Samsung first announced its ISOCELL technology in 2013, which reduces color-cross talk between pixels by placing a physical barrier, allowing small-sized pixels to achieve higher color fidelity. Based on this technology, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 1.0um-pixel image sensor in 2015 and 0.9-pixel sensor in 2017. In June 2018, Samsung introduced an upgraded pixel isolation technology, the ISOCELL Plus

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 hands-on

11 Aug

Hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+

On Wednesday, Samsung announced the latest generation of its Galaxy Note series and for the first time, the Note is offered in two sizes: the 6.8″ Note 10+ and the 6.3″ Note 10. If you want everything the Note offers but don’t love a massive phone, you now have the option of a slightly less massive phone!

We had the opportunity to get our hands on the new phones at Samsung’s launch event in New York. Take a look at what’s new in the Note series.

Triple cameras for all!

Both the Note 10 and Note 10+ share a nearly-identical rear triple camera array with the S10 series. That’s a 12MP main camera with F1.5/F2.4 dual apertures and a 27mm equivalent field-of-view, a 12mm equivalent ultra-wide 16MP F2.2 camera and a 52mm equivalent 12MP tele camera with F2.1 aperture – slightly faster than the F2.4 tele lens in the S10 series. Both the main and tele rear cameras are optically stabilized. While the main camera has a dual pixel sensor design for fast AF, the tele lens utilizes masked phase-detect pixels, which we’ve found on prior Samsung models to offer a sub-par autofocus experience.

The Note 10 (above) lacks one key camera feature Note 10+ offers: a Time-of-Flight camera for better depth-mapping and live bokeh effects in video mode (more on that later), and presumably better augmented reality experiences.

Front-facing camera

Both the Note 10 and 10+ use a hole punch-style front-facing camera. There’s no dual selfie camera on either model (the S10+ and S10 5G models had accompanying RGB depth and ToF flight cameras, respectively), just a 10MP 26mm equiv. lens with F2.2 aperture. This camera does not feature optical stabilization, but the sensor is a dual pixel design for fast autofocus.

Video recording

The Note 10 and 10+ are capable video shooters as well. The rear camera can record 4K UHD video at up to 60 fps with optical stabilization only, and up to 4K/30p with optical lens stabilization and electronic image stabilization (for very steady footage). The rear camera can shoot HDR10+ video for playback on HDR TVs; however, there’s no mention of HDR capture in video. The AMOLED displays on both Note 10 devices are HDR10+ certified, which isn’t surprising given the high contrast ratio, brightness and wide (P3) color gamut of Samsung OLED displays.

Both devices are capable of super slow motion video, with 960 fps capability in 720p mode, and 240 fps capability in 1080p.

Live focus video

The Note 10 and 10+ offer something first introduced by the S10 5G: live shallow depth-of-field effects for video recording. Users can change focus between background and foreground on the fly, and adjust the level of blur to taste.

We’ll be curious to test if the Note 10+ has a better implementation of live focus video thanks to its ToF camera.

Video depth-of-field effects

Not only can you blur the background behind your subject, you can add a few different effects like black-and-white backgrounds, out-of-focus highlight overlays, and this red/blue stereoscopic treatment. Maybe 3D cameras aren’t dead after all?

Still photo depth-of-field effects

Background blur effects are also available for still photos – a feature introduced in the S10 and recently added to the S9 series via software update. As in the S10, the Note 10 and 10+ provide the ability to add effects as you’re shooting or after-the-fact.

S Pen, headphone jack and other curiosities

Other highlights on the new phones include the ability to control certain functions by gesture via the updated S Pen. Samsung will open up its ‘Air actions SDK’ to invite third party developers to make use of this way of interacting with the phone. And sadly, the 3.5mm headphone jack has left the building – the USB-C connector will allow for wired audio connections.

The Galaxy Note 10 starts at $ 950; the Note 10+ starts at $ 1100.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung launches triple-camera Galaxy Note 10 series

08 Aug

With its latest Galaxy Note generation, Samsung gives potential buyers the option to choose from two sizes. The flagship Galaxy Note 10+ comes with a massive 6.8″ display for those who want maximum screen size in a smartphone. At 6.3″ the display of the standard Note 10 falls much more in line with the Galaxy S10 series, which is traditionally smaller than the Notes.

Both displays are of the AMOLED variant and support HDR10+ with Dynamic Tone Mapping. However, the Plus model comes with a 1440p+ resolution while the smaller model offers a 1080p+ resolution.

Both phones come with the same triple-camera setup but the 10+ adds a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor which can be used to create 3D models with a scanning app and should also benefit the simulated bokeh effect.

The 12MP main camera comes with a 1/2.55″ sensor and a 27mm equivalent lens with variable aperture (F1.5-2.4). Dual-pixel AF and optical image stabilization are on board as well. The 12MP tele uses a smaller 1/3.6″ sensor and offers a stabilized 52mm equivalent lens with F2.1 aperture which is slightly faster than on the tele-equipped S10 models. The ultra-wide angle offers a higher 16MP pixel count and a 12mm equivalent focal length.

The 10MP front camera is hidden under a ‘punch hole’ and features a 26mm equivalent lens with F2.2 aperture. Front and rear cameras can record 4K video, and a new ‘Live Focus Video’ mode allows for shallow depth-of-field effects in real-time. Other special effects, like simulated out-of-focus highlights or black-and-white backgrounds, can also be added in real-time to video. Software features include a new and more advanced video editor and a special version of Adobe Premiere Rush which is available as a free download.

Like previous Galaxy Notes the 10th generation comes with Samsung’s S-Pen stylus which now features both an accelerometer and a gyroscope, allowing it to be used as a motion controller. The phone can be controlled at a distance using the gestures app and Samsung says it will make an SDK available to third-party app developers as well.

Depending on region the Note 10 will be powered by either Samsung’s new Exynos 9825 chipset or the Snapdragon 855 and users can choose from 256 or 512GB storage options. The Plus model also comes with a microSD card slot.

In terms of audio output you get stereo speakers and a pair of USB-C headphones but no conventional audio jack. Battery sizes differ between models, with the Plus version offering a 4,300mAh unit versus the standard model’s 3,500mAh variant.

Both models will be available as 5G versions for those lucky enough to live in an area with 5G coverage. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ will be available from August 23. Pricing starts at $ 949 for the Note 10 with 256GB. The Plus version will be $ 1,099 for the 256GB model and $ 1,199 for the 512GB variant.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi teases future Mi smartphone with 108MP Samsung camera sensor

07 Aug

Xiaomi, the company often called the ‘Apple of China,’ has announced plans to pack a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor into an upcoming Mi series smartphone model. The plan was teased by the company during the Xiaomi Future Image Technology Communication Conference in Beijing earlier today.

Xiaomi’s conference largely revolved around the Samsung ISOCELL GW1, a 64MP camera sensor that, based on Xiaomi’s past teases, is expected to launch in a future Redmi smartphone. The GW1 sensor is viewed as the next step up from the 48MP sensor found in a number of existing phone models, including the Redmi Note 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro.

In addition to detailing the 64MP sensor, Xiaomi announced that it will be the first company to use a Samsung 108MP ISOCELL 12032 x 9024 image sensor in a smartphone. The company didn’t reveal which model will pack the camera, but Ice Universe, a credible leaker on Twitter, claims the 108MP sensor will be available in the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 model.

Samsung hasn’t released any information about this 108MP camera sensor at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung announces first 100+ layer V-NAND memory module

07 Aug

Fast storage solutions are essential for efficient digital photo and video workflows and Samsung Technology has announced the start of production of new V-NAND modules with more than 100 layers, which is an industry first and should give a boost to any editing workstation. According to the South Korean company, the 256GB 3-bit V-NAND will be used to make SSD drives for PCs and has already been delivered to a number global OEMs.

The new generation adds around 40 percent more cells to the previous 9-layer single-stack structure. Samsung achieves this by building an electrically conductive mold stack with 136 layers. The company claims this results in the industry’s fastest data transfer rate, citing writing speed of 450 microseconds (?) and a reading response time of 45?. Compared to the previous design performance has been increased by 10 percent and power consumption decreased by 15%.

The company claims this results in the industry’s fastest data transfer rate, citing writing speed of 450 microseconds (?) and a reading response time of 45?.

Samsung says that thanks to the new and faster design, it will be able to offer V-NAND solutions with more than 300 layers by combining three of the new stacks, without any negative impact on performance or reliability.

In addition to the performance increases, the engineers have been able to reduce production steps and reduce chip sizes, increasing production rates by 20 percent.

With the 250GB SATA PC SSD already released, the company is planning to increase production in second half of the year to meet growing global demand and produce SSDs and eUFSs using 512Gb 3-bit V-NAND in a variety of specifications. Samsung is also hoping to deploy the new chips for mobile and automobile applications in the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung project uses Galaxy S10+ to capture 943km panorama of Portugal’s coast

14 Jun

Samsung Portugal has detailed a unique project that involved its Galaxy S10+ smartphone, a boat trip and the creation of a panorama featuring 943 kilometers (585 miles) captured from the cities Moledo to Monte Gordo. The panorama, which is available to view on Samsung’s website, was created from images of the coastline captured from the water over an eight-day trip.

The Galaxy S10+ photography project boat trip involved José Gomes as skipper, Carlos Bernardo as ‘chronicler’ and André Carvalho as photographer. Entries from the trip’s logbook detailing each of the 8 days can be found—written in Portuguese—here. The final result is intended to highlight the flagship smartphone’s triple-lens camera, which Samsung refers to as ‘pro-grade.’

This is one of many massive panoramas, past examples including a 600,000 pixel panorama of Tokyo and NASA’s 360-degree panorama of Mars published earlier this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung Galaxy S10+ sample gallery

02 Jun

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Samsung’s Galaxy S10+ is one of a few flagship phones to offer a triple-camera array, providing a wide-angle lens in addition to the usual standard and telephoto lenses. It may not be the lens you’ll want to use for most of your shooting, but it sure came in handy a few times as we were out shooting with the device. See for yourself how the phone handles a variety of scenes (and a couple of furry creatures for good measure).

See our Samsung Galaxy S10+
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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