February 2020 is a major month for the launch of new smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series was just released recently. The 100MP + 8K video recording function is undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights at the conference. Also, the Xiaomi Mi 10 series was uncovered yesterday. This line comes with similar advantages. So what are the differences between the two models with 100MP?
According to Xiaomi’s official introduction, the Xiaomi Mi 10 is equipped with a 100-megapixel camera (jointly customized with Samsung) and is equipped with an ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. ISOCELL Bright HMX is a large-sized moving image sensor with a light-sensitive area of 1/1.33 inches. It can absorb more light than other small sensors in low-light conditions. At the same time, it uses Tetracell to achieve brighter 27-megapixel photos.
After the release of the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, many users thought that Samsung used the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor on the Xiaomi CC9 Pro. But unexpectedly, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra used a new CMOS. It is quite different from ISOCELL Bright HMX. The ISOCELL Bright HM1 on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the second-generation 108MP CMOS of Samsung. It is an upgraded version of ISOCELL Bright HMX. The size is 1/1.33 inches, coming with 108 million 0.8μm pixels. The industry’s first and most advanced Nonacell technology provides brighter images in low light conditions.
Compared to the HMX sensor on the Xiaomi Mi 10, Samsung’s sensor can achieve a four-in-one into a nine-in-one (Nonacell), synthesizing a single pixel area of 2.4 μm and a 12-megapixel output. This will greatly improve the smartphone’s shooting effect in the dark light environment. In other words, Nonacell is an enhanced version of Tetracell, and the amount of light can reach more than twice that of the latter. And its overall performance is also better than ISOCELL Bright HMX.
In addition, by using Nonacell and Smart-ISO technology, the S20 Ultra can provide higher brightness and better video output under complex lighting conditions. We even don’t mention that it works with several other cameras to provide brighter and clearer 8K video at 24 frames per second (fps).
In general, the smartphone industry in Q1 of 2020 has reached a stage of intense competition, which is also a good time for major manufacturers to differentiate. As consumer demand for cameras becomes more intense, smartphone manufacturers will face more demanding preparations from users for cameras. At present, if you want to improve the camera level of your phone, it is generally developed in three aspects: outsole, high pixels, and high unit pixel area. This time, the HM1 of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is prepared. The micrometer pixel area is still up to 108 million output pixels, revealing a feeling of ‘I want everything’. It is foreseeable in the future that the smartphone market will cause a new round of ‘arms race’ in mobile photography. Samsung has achieved this level. Next, we need to see how Huawei, Apple, and Google should pick up.