Samsung Announces ISOCELL JN1 Sensor; Reducing Pixel Sizes Even Further

Following the GN2 sensor announced in February, Samsung has now announced the new ISOCELL JN1 image sensor. As with its prior sensors, this one is for the smartphone camera. And it may result in smaller camera bumps in newer phones.

With the new ISOCELL JN1, Samsung has reduced the size of a single pixel down to 0.64 micrometres. Smaller pixels may, as mentioned, mean smaller camera modules on phones. That, or it will allow for other camera modules like telephoto or ultrawide cameras without making the camera bump bigger. This versatility will allow these supplementary cameras to have the same high resolution as the main camera.

But you might think that smaller pixels would reduce image quality, especially where brightness and exposure is concerned. And you’d be right. But Samsung says that this is compensated by the ISOCELL 2.0 tech itself, which enhances light sensitivity. Of course, the new ISOCELL JN1 will also make use of pixel binning tech, which Samsung calls Tetrapixel, which merges four pixels to work as one.

Samsung says that the ISOCELL JN1 is the first of an upcoming new lineup of 0.64 micrometre sensors. It’s also already in mass production. So you can see phones using one as soon as in the second half of the year.