New Samsung ISOCELL sensor is about to upgrade your next smartphone camera

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Camera Module Closeup
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Camera Module Closeup (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung is touting its next-generation ISOCELL camera sensor.
  • The new ISOCELL 2.0 produces better light sensitivity using a new material to separate light filters.
  • Samsung hints at wanting to add more pixels to its camera sensors with this new technology.

Samsung has been using its ISOCELL camera sensors for many years, resulting in some of the best Android cameras on the market. But the company is still looking for ways to improve its sensors and cram even more pixels into its cameras. With the announcement of the new ISOCELL 2.0, Samsung might finally have the opportunity.

In a blog post, Samsung announced the advancements that it's applied to the new ISOCELL 2.0, which mainly focus on color reproduction and light sensitivity. With the new sensor, Samsung has included a new material that sits between each pixel's color filters, which works to keep light from bleeding into other pixels in a phenomenon called "color crosstalk." By reducing this, pixels can capture more light and color information, resulting in cleaner photos with reduced noise.

According to Samsung, the biggest benefit of this technology is that it will allow more pixels to be crammed into a camera sensor. After launching a 108MP camera sensor on some of its recent high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, it's no surprise that more pixels are being sought out.

There's no word yet on when this technology might reach commercial availability. A ton of smartphones actually come equipped with Sony sensors, but Samsung has a firm footing in that department as well. It's been rumored that the ZTE Axon 30 Pro could feature a 200MP camera from Samsung, so we might see this technology sooner rather than later.

Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.