Samsung announced the 50MP Isocell GN1 last year, deviating from its 108MP sensors. The lower resolution of the GN1 was compensated for by its much larger pixels, which significantly improved low-light photos.
Samsung ISOCELL GN2 - Credit: Samsung We've been talking about the arrival of the ISOCELL GN2 for some time now. Already when a video had fully unveiled the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and its second LCD screen on the back , Internet users were wondering about the thickness of the photo module. This is not surprising, since the new GN2 sensor is huge, with a size of 1 / 1.12 inch , compared to 1 / 1.31 inch for the previous generation which was exclusive to Vivo smartphones.
As a result, the sensor has gigantic individual 1.4 micron pixels , almost twice the size of the 0.8 micron photosites of the 108 MP ISCOCELL HM3 main sensor from Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which we were able to test .
One sizelarger pixel size translates to better image quality in low light conditions , since it is easier for the sensor to pick up residual light. The ISOCELL GN2 is also capable of using pixel-binning technology, which can group 4 pixels into one to create a 12.5 MP image .
| | Samsung ISOCELL GN2 (Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra) | Samsung ISOCELL GN1 (Vivo X60 Pro +) | Samsung ISOCELL Bright HM3 (Galaxy S21 Ultra) |
| Resolution | 50 MP | 50 MP | 108 MP |
| Sensor size | 1 / 1.12 inch | 1 / 1.31 inch
| 1 / 1.33 inch
|
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron
| 1.2 micron
| 0.8 micron
|
| Pixel-binning | 12.5MP 2.8 microns
(4-in-1) | 12.5MP 2.4 microns
(4-in-1 ) | 12MP 2.4 microns
(9-in-1) |
| Video | 8K / 24fps
4K / 120fps
FHD/480fps | 8K / 30fps
4K / 120fps
FHD / 400fps | 8K / 30fps
4K / 120fps
FHD / 240fps |
ISOCELL GN2: the high-end sensor par excellence
The sensor uses a new technology from Samsung, called Dual Pixel Pro . This uses 100 million phase-detecting photodiodes that perceive phases both vertically and horizontally for faster and more precise autofocus. Samsung says this is its most advanced autofocus (PDAF) solution to date .
Additionally, the sensor supports stepped HDR for better precision and lower power consumption. According to Samsung, the new stepped HDR function allows reduce power consumption by up to 24%.
Finally, in terms of video recording, the sensor is capable of record 4K videos up to 120 FPS and Full HD videos up to 480 FPS . With such a sensor, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra should soon be able to dethrone the Huawei Mate 40 Pro and its high-end photo sensors in the DXOMARK ranking .
Source: Samsung
