What you need to know
- Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus are rumored to use Sony's imaging sensors.
- However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will continue with the flagship ISOCELL sensor.
- OnePlus recently tapped Sony for its first foldable and the recent OnePlus 12, featuring its LYT series of sensors.
The launch of the Galaxy S24 series is rumored to be just a month away, and we are already hearing what its successor will incorporate in terms of optics.
Samsung seems to be taking the same route as OnePlus as seen with the recent OnePlus Open and newly launched OnePlus 12, both of which include Sony's latest mobile imaging sensors. According to tipster Revegnus (@Tech_Reve), the Galaxy S25 and the S25 Plus will ditch Samsung's GN3 sensor in favor of Sony's.
Great news: The S25 and S25+ will no longer use the dreadful GN3 sensor; instead, they will feature Sony’s image sensor. I’m very happy! https://t.co/P6pxMEmyMlDecember 3, 2023
The tipster doesn't specify the precise sensor that will be seen in the Galaxy S25 models, which is understandable since it's way too early to predict as the launch is more than a year away. However, the move away from its own sensors is still an interesting one for Samsung, although it may not be a complete departure for the S25 series.
The tipster notes that the Korean tech giant will continue using its own sensors for the Ultra model. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is still expected to equip Samsung's flagship ISOCELL sensor. The Ultra will likely equip a new or upgraded ISOCELL 200MP sensor that is rumored to be a 1-inch sensor with 0.8µm pixels and feature dual-pixel autofocus and in-sensor crop zoom, notes GSMArena.
We have heard about Samsung utilizing Sony's imaging sensor before; Revegnus earlier predicted the same back in June this year. Meanwhile, upgrading the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus models to Sony's imaging sensors is a significant move from the company, which could potentially result in better picture quality.
OnePlus has yielded excellent photos from Sony's LYT-T808 sensor for its first foldable phone, the OnePlus Open. The OnePlus 12, which launched in China this week, debuted yet another Sony flagship LYT-808 sensor and promises to bring exceptional image output.
Of course, it's just an early rumor for now, so we'll have to wait and see what Samsung brings with its flagship 2025 models. However, it if proves true, that means we'll likely have to put up with one more year of Samsung's tried-and-true GN3 sensor before we see any major changes.
