Samsung unveils ISOCELL HPC 200MPsensor

Samsung has unveiled the ISOCELL HPC, a new 200MP mobile image sensor designed to improve HDR performance, light capture, and image quality across different zoom levels.

The ISOCELL HPC features a 1/1.3-inch optical format with 0.6μm pixels and introduces Samsung’s DeepPix technology, which the company says is the first of its kind in the industry. The technology improves the sensor’s Full Well Capacity (FWC), allowing each pixel to hold more light before becoming overexposed.

Samsung says its DeepPix pixel structure, combined with Front Deep Trench Isolation (FDTI), increases the single-pixel FWC by 60% compared with the previous generation. This is designed to produce brighter highlights, richer shadow detail, and a wider dynamic range with less noise.

The sensor supports single-frame 16-bit HDR, which Samsung says provides up to four times richer color expression than conventional HDR. This is intended to preserve more natural tones and subtle details in scenes with challenging lighting, such as bright outdoor environments and backlit subjects.

The ISOCELL HPC also brings HDR capabilities to multiple in-sensor zoom levels. Samsung says single-frame HDR is supported at 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x, and 4x zoom, with in-sensor downscaling helping maintain consistent HDR performance throughout the zoom range.

For video, the sensor supports 4K recording at up to 180fps, allowing smartphones equipped with the sensor to capture smoother slow-motion footage.

Samsung has also equipped the ISOCELL HPC with its High Precision Microlens (High-P) technology, which uses high-refractive-index materials to focus more light onto the photodiode. High Transmittance ARL (High-T) is used alongside it to reduce light reflection and scattering, helping improve light transmission and quantum efficiency.

The ISOCELL HPC uses a Tetra-pixel RGB Bayer Pattern and supports Super QPD autofocus. It also features Smart-ISO Pro HDR and DeepPix-based imaging capabilities.

Samsung has not yet announced which smartphone will be the first to use the ISOCELL HPC. The company says the new 200MP sensor is designed to set a new benchmark for HDR in high-resolution mobile imaging.

Samsung ISOCELL HPC specs:
Effective resolution: 16,384 × 12,288 (200MP)
Pixel size: 0.6μm
Optical format: 1/1.3-inch
Color filter: Tetra-pixel RGB Bayer Pattern
Normal frame rate: 7.5fps @50MP, 30fps @12.5MP
Video frame rate: 30fps @8K, 180fps @4K, 360fps @FHD (without AF)
Shutter type: Electronic rolling shutter
Autofocus: Super QPD (PDAF)
HDR: Smart-ISO Pro (iDCG), DSG
Chroma: Tetra-pixel
Analog gain: 16x @full, 160x @12.5MP
Output formats: RAW10, RAW12, RAW14, RAW16
Interface: 4 lanes (2.5 Gbps per lane) D-PHY / 3 lanes (5.0 Gsps per trio) C-PHY
Operating temperature: -20°C to +85°C