Last year, Samsung unveiled its 200MP ISOCELL mobile image sensor, dubbed the HP1. The new sensor had s apixel size of 0.64μm, and could capture images at a native 200MP. After its announcement, news about its development fell silent, with barely any discussions about it online. That is, until now.
The update on the HP1 sensor comes in the form of a YouTube video showcasing the sensor’s prowess, by using to create a massive, billboard picture that you normally see plastered or hanging all on a building. The subject of the photographer? A close up shot of the face of a really well-pampered cat.
From the 200MP captured image, Samsung was able to print out the image of the cat at a size of 28m wide and 22m high billboard. To put it in another way,that’s about half the size of a basketball court.
“I have always wondered just how big you could go when it comes to printing out a 200MP image,” said Minhyuk Lee, an engineer from the Sensor Solutions Team at Samsung’s System LSI Business. “As exciting as it was, the challenge was a demanding one, as this was our first time showcasing the quality of an image sensor that has yet to be adopted in smartphones.”
Now, it should be pointed out that the HP1 sensor was used through a test board, and not within the chassis of a Samsung smartphone. The reason for this is obviously because the sensor is still in its testing phase, but as it stands, rumours and speculations suggest that the sensor could make its way to next year’s batch of flagship smartphones. With Motorola rumoured to be one of the first non-Samsung brands to adopt it.
