Samsung develops clearer, smaller phone cameras
updated 05:00 pm EST, Fri February 12, 2010
Camera chips also enable HD video clips
Samsung said today it has developed two new CMOS image sensors for cellphones, the SSK4E2 and S5K5CA. Both chips are designed to fit the current 6.5mm square standard for very thin smartphones. The SSK4E2 records both still images and full HD (1080p) video, while the S5K5CA records stills and video at 720p resolution.
The SSK4E2 is a low power, 5-megapixel chip with extended depth of field, noise removal, anti-shading correction, and other image enhancement features. It captures 1080p, albeit only at 15 fps. The sensor hardware also provides autofocusing and supports the barcode and business card scanning features available in some mobile operating systems.
The S5K5CA features an integrated 3-megapixel CMOS sensor/image processor system-on-chip design that is 25 percent smaller than Samsung's previous chip of the same size.
Neither has a definitive release date, though this will depend on when both Samsung and other companies produce shipping phones with the new cameras.
