This image sensor boasts the highest dynamic range EVER for a smartphone

OmniVision has launched its new OV50X image sensor, which takes smartphone photography to a whole new level with an extraordinarily high dynamic range – almost 110dB. That’s the highest ever seen in the smartphone world.

The manufacturer is known for its technical breakthroughs in the camera market. You might remember its specialist medical camera the size of a grain of sand, designed to save lives in the hands of surgeons.

That tiny camera even entered the Guinness Book of Records. Getting the industry's highest dynamic range sensor on the market is Omnivision's next move.

The OV50X image sensor features a resolution of 50MP, each pixel measuring 1.6-micron (µm) within a 1-inch optical format. It was designed to enhance flagship smartphones, making it possible to fit high-end technology in your pocket.

OmniVision developed the OV50X with professional videographers and photographers in mind to meet the growing demand for high-quality filming on the smartphone market.

Here are some quick tech specs:

- Supports 4-cell binning for 12.5 MP at a speedy 180 frames per second (fps) and 60 fps with three-channel HDR
- Premium-quality 8K video thanks to Dual Analog Gain (DAG) HDR, and on-sensor crop zoom
- Features OmniVision’s TheiaCel™ technology, extending single-exposure HDR to close to 110 dB—the highest range possible for smartphones
- Top-notch autofocus performance with 100% coverage from Quad Phase Detection (QPD)
- Built on PureCel®Plus-S stacked-die technology, it excels in low-light conditions

Takuritsu Li, marketing manager, OmniVision, said: "Consumers can now own a smartphone capable of superior video and photo capture around the clock, even in challenging capture conditions such as sunrise, sunset, nighttime with bright lights, or overcast days."

The OV50X is sampling now and will be in mass production in Q3 2025.

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