OmniVision announces 48 MP sensor for smartphones

OmniVision Technologies Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, announced at CES the OV48C, a 48-megapixel (MP) image sensor with a large 1.2 micron pixel size to enable high-resolution and excellent low-light performance for smartphone cameras. The OV48C is the industry’s first image sensor for high-resolution mobile cameras with on-chip dual conversion gain HDR, which eliminates motion artifacts and produces an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the company says. This sensor also offers a staggered HDR option with on-chip combination, providing smartphone designers with the maximum flexibility to select the best HDR method for a given scene.

“The combination of high resolution, large pixel size and high dynamic range is essential to providing the image quality required by flagship mobile phone designers for features such as night mode,” said Arun Jayaseelan, staff marketing manager at OmniVision. “The OV48C is the only flagship mobile image sensor in the industry to offer the combination of high 48MP resolution, a large 1.2-micron pixel, high speed, and on-chip high dynamic range, which provides superior SNR, unparalleled low light performance and high-quality 4K video.”

Built on OmniVision’s PureCel® Plus stacked die technology, this 1/1.3-inch optical format sensor provides leading-edge still image capture and video performance for flagship smartphones. The OV48C also integrates an on-chip, 4-cell color filter array and hardware remosaic, which provides high quality, 48MP Bayer output, or 8K video, in real time. OV48C samples are available now, and this new image sensor will be demonstrated at OmniVision’s CES hotel suite, from Jan. 7-10.