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Sharp has unveiled a new 1/3.2-inch CMOS camera sensor geared towards smartphones, one measuring thinner than any other currently on the market. The RJ63YC100 features a 12.1MP resolution and optical image stabilization while measuring in at a mer 5.47mm. Aside from the backside-illuminated sensor’s ability to shoot beautiful full HD video, it’s thinness could help to shave precious millimeters off of future handsets, eliminating the need for the characteristic hump found on some smartphones to house camera components.
The new sensor will go into mass production beginning in January at a rate of 100,000 units per month. The first samples will reach manufacturers by the end of the week.
[via TechCrunch]
Better idea: keep the hump and use it to hold better glass. Camera phones don’t only suck as cameras because of the sensor, they have crappy optics.
Yep. As a photographer said to me. “A camera is just a box to hold the lens.”
A 1/8″ piece of clear plastic is no Carl Zeiss
Zeiss isn’t that great anyways.
thats not what she said
This is something to be excited about in smartphone technology. Now lets see more advancements in battery technology!
Err…”1/3.2-inch”? Is that the same as 10/32″ (or 5/16″)? In English, we don’t combine symbols and decimal notation in the same expression. I grok 5.47mm, though: That’s just over 1/4″. ;)
All that said, it’s an exciting development, and since I’ve pretty much decided my next phone will be a Samsung, doubly exciting!
just don’t sell to Apple and all is well.
Apple has already been left in the dust as far as phones go. iOS is an outdated dinosaur and the iPhone 4S looks like a kids toy. I don’t see how anyone can use a 3.5″ screen these days.
as much as i dislike apple i think your overreacting /blind to the real world if you think iOS is a dinosaur… it’s a very competitive OS, and a 3.5 inch screen is on the small side yes, but some people do prefer smaller devices (women generally speaking, dont want a huge clunky phone).
just be aware of the competition, its not as dull as you seem to think it is.
anyway this camera is amazing and looks to be the same size from the front but MUCH thinner looking which should really help phones slim down when it comes to designs like the RAZR
The way i see it is Apple makes a really good phone, Google is trying to put a PC in my pocket, I like google.
Cool story bro!
I wish they would move towards using LARGER sensors. If anything, image quality is mostly related to the size of each pixel where larger means better. The fact is that marketing is more powerful than science, so we’re just going to get more and more pixels with more and more noise and more and more artificial noise compensation. I’m keeping my DSLR…
but it gets rid of that horrible Moto hump. but yes i agree wholeheartedly larger sensor a ++++
larger sensor area means larger optics needed. so…
so, how thin is your SLR? It’s thick for a reason, not just “because.” Also, how slim are those lenses you use? Now, imagine you cell phone being the size of your SLR.