Nokia paved the way for smartphone cameras and the competitions is scrambling to make their own flagships outshine each other. Samsung which dominates the Android landscape has just announced its new ISOCELL technology, which it says is superior to the backside illumination (BSI) sensors in current handsets.According to Samsung, BSI has limitations because of the small pixel size in 13MP, 20MP and even 41MP cameras, because it increases the cross-talk interference between pixels so close to each other.
With ISOCELL each individual pixel is isolated, and can grab more photons from the light that pours into the sensor, compared to the diffusion that goes on with the BSI tech. This means we should expect much better exposed and blur-free photos in low light, which is the hardest scenario for any camera to make decent photos in.
Samsung has even calculated that phones and tablets using ISOCELL modules will have 30% better color accuracy just from the sensor itself, as well as 30% better dynamic range capture. Additionally the tech can even be used in lower modules, which means they can be fit into ever slimmer handsets and slates. As you can see in Samsung's comparison image below, the tech really sports more correct dynamic range and exposure measurements, as well as better color representation over BSI.
The first sensor from Samsung to adopt the ISOCELL technology is the S5K4H5YB - an 8MP unit with 1.12 micron ISOCELL pixels and a 1/4" format. Samples are being sent out to customers, and mass production is set to being in the fourth quarter of this year. With Samsung rumored to be working on a 64-bit Exynos processor and metal body for the Galaxy S5, we don't be surprised to see this technology coupled with a optical image stabilization on Samsung's next flagship.
Press Release
source - Samsung