Samsung is reportedly considering using the Sony Xperia Z5’s image sensor in its upcoming Galaxy S7 smartphone. Rumours suggest that the company is in negotiations with Sony to source the IMX300 image sensor for its flagship device. Earlier rumours had indicated towards Samsung fitting the Galaxy S7 with its own 20-megapixel ISOCELL image sensor. It is an improvement over the 16-megapixel sensor of the Galaxy S6, and is reportedly more power efficient. However, rumours circulating on Chinese microblogging site Weibo suggest that Samsung is negotiating with Sony over the IMX300 image sensor.
DxOMark’s report of the Xperia Z5 having the best smartphone camera is believed to have prompted Samsung to try to get a hold of the sensors. It has a 192-point autofocus system, which Sony claims can deliver focusing speeds of 0.03 seconds.
Samsung is reportedly planning to utilise the IMX300 sensor in at least some models of the Galaxy S7. The company is also quite unlikely to abandon its own ISOCELL sensor. There is a likelihood that some models of the Galaxy S7 will sport Sony’s sensor, while the others will be fitted with the ISOCELL sensor. Such an arrangement will, however, throw up some interesting complications. The IMX300 is allegedly a 25MP sensor which has been scaled down to 23MP for Sony. Samsung cannot possibly advertise the same device with two sets of specifications. Samsung is reportedly planning to compress the images to 20-megapixels, to keep it in line with the ISOCELL sensors’ resolution.
Sony is understood to be reluctant to sell the IMX300 sensor to other companies. But, given that Samsung will most likely sell more Galaxy S7 units than the Xperia Z5 series, Sony might give in. Sony’s smartphone business isn’t exactly in the best shape, while its image sensor business is flourishing. The company recently announce that it will be acquiring Toshiba’s CMOS image sensor business.
Samsung may also release three separate versions of the Galaxy S7. It might release a Exynos 7422-powered model in India, an Exynos 8890 model in Korea, China and Europe, and a Snapdragon 820-powered model elsewhere. Samsung is speculated to launch the Galaxy S7 in January 2016.
Source: IT Home