- Sony is reportedly preparing the first 1-inch phone camera sensor.
- Huawei could be one of the first to use it in the P50 series.
- The sensor could arrive in April.
Sony could make even the largest phone cameras seem tiny in no time. According to Gizmochina, established Leaker Rodent950 Expectations Sony will release the first phone-oriented one-inch camera sensor, the IMX800, in April.
The tipster was shy about details. However, Huawei will reportedly be one of the first to use the giant Sony camera sensor in a handset and incorporate it into the P50 series. This lineup would complement the main sensor with ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, including periscope lenses on high-end models.
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There is no mention of what the new Sony camera sensor could do. However, such a relatively large surface area could improve photography in low light and create more comfortable bokeh (soft background blur) for portraits and other close-ups.
This wouldn’t be the first time a 1-inch sensor got into a phone. Panasonic’s Lumix CM1 from 2014 integrated the technology into a camera and telephone hybrid. However, this device used sensor technology originally designed for dedicated cameras – the Sony hardware was specially designed.
Just don’t expect the IMX800 to become ubiquitous, provided the rumor is correct. A 1-inch sensor is large by the standards of modern telephones and can limit the space available for secondary cameras. The Sony sensor would be more likely to find its way into phones where space for cameras just isn’t an issue. Still, it could be good news for mobile photo enthusiasts who are determined to leave mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras at home.