Samsung is democratising high-end mobile photography for almost any phone with new image sensors and software launched yesterday. Samsung announced the ISOCELL Dual image sensor that allows phones to shoot in portrait mode or in low light.
The new image sensor will enable mid-level and entry-level devices to blur the background or shoot better low light photos, according to Samsung. The new sensors will be available to other smartphone makers, adding to Samsung’s offerings which already include flash storage and memory.
The portrait mode and the low-light enhancements are split in two separate dual-camera modules. The image sensor for portrait mode has one 13-megapixel sensor and one 5-megapixel sensor while the one for shooting in low light consist of twin 8-megapixel sensors.
The image sensors are ready to use as Samsung has already coded and picked out the hardware and it will be much cheaper for companies to implement portrait mode and low-light photography in phones. This will enable the feature to trickle down to budget and mid-range devices.
“Samsung’s total dual camera solution will simplify that process and enable mid- to entry-level mobile devices to take advantage of certain camera features mainly available in premium devices equipped with an extra image signal processor,” Samsung wrote in a press release.