Samsung has launched three new ISOCELL image sensors for smartphones. The company unveiled the 200MP ISOCELL HP9, 50MP ISOCELL GNJ, and 50MP ISOCELL JN5. We might see some or all of these cameras on the Galaxy S25 series, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Samsung’s new 200MP camera is smaller than the one on the S24 Ultra
Featuring an optical format of just 1/1.4 inches, Samsung’s ISOCELL HP9 is the industry’s smallest 200MP camera alongside the ISOCELL HP3 launched in June 2022—smaller than the Galaxy S24 Ultra‘s ISOCELL HP2 with a 1/1.3-inch optical format. The new sensor boasts 0.56μm native pixels, though pixel binning allows it to merge up to 16 neighboring pixels (4×4). This increases the pixel size to 2.24μm and produces 12MP shots in dark environments.
The ISOCELL HP9 boasts Samsung’s proprietary high-refractive microlens for improved light absorption and image quality. The company claims 12% better light sensitivity for more vivid color reproduction. It also touts a 10% boost in autofocus performance. The sensor isn’t primarily intended for the main camera, though. Samsung says it is best suited for telephoto zoom cameras, thanks to its excellent low-light performance and large optical format.
We might be contradicting ourselves by calling it large, but zoom cameras traditionally feature tiny sensors. For example, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 10MP 3x zoom camera employs a 1/3.52-inch sensor, while its 50MP 5x zoom camera uses a 1/2.52-inch sensor. This makes the ISOCELL HP9’s 1/1.4-inch format massive. Samsung has tailored it for improved image quality, autofocus, high dynamic range (HDR), and fps (frames per second) in zoom shots.
The new 200MP Samsung camera also features a remosaic algorithm for 2x or 4x in-sensor zoom modes. When combined with a 3x zoom telephoto module, you get near-lossless images up to 12x zoom. Vivo’s X100 Ultra already uses this sensor with a 3.7x optical zoom lens, and the results are amazing. It is arguably the best zoom camera out there, even better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It is unclear if Samsung will use it in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Rumors say the upcoming flagship will get a 50MP 3x zoom camera. Details about the other (5x) zoom camera are not available.
The upgraded 50MP cameras might also make it to the Galaxy S25 series
Samsung’s ISOCELL GNJ is a 50MP dual-pixel sensor with 1.0μm pixels in a 1/1.57-inch optical format. It appears to be an upgraded version of the 50MP ISOCELL GN3 camera serving as the primary shooter on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, Galaxy S23, and Galaxy S23+. The company’s official press release says the new sensor boasts an improved high-transmittance anti-refractive layer (ARL) and its proprietary high-refractive microlens for improved image quality.
Overall, it appears to be a refined camera hardware with subtle improvements rather than something completely new. Samsung claims power efficiency gains of 29% in camera preview mode and 34% when recording videos (4K videos at 60fps) but most of the specs seemingly remain unchanged. Rumors say the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will retain a 50MP primary shooter at the back. We won’t be surprised if it’s the ISOCELL GNJ or its variants.
The ISOCELL JN5 could also feature on the Galaxy S25 phones. This 50MP sensor has a 1/2.76-inch optical format and 0.64μm pixels. With these specs, it can fit anywhere—main rear camera, selfie camera, ultrawide camera, and zoom camera. Samsung might use it (or its variants) as an ultrawide camera on its next-gen flagships. There are already rumors that the devices will feature a 50MP ultrawide camera. At least the Ultra model looks destined to get it.
A recent rumor specifically said that the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s ultrawide camera will feature a new version of the 50MP ISOCELL JN1 sensor with a 1/2.76-inch optical format. So, this looks more probable. According to Samsung, the ISOCELL JN5 boasts dual vertical transfer gate (Dual VTG) technology that helps reduce noise in extremely low-light conditions. It also features Super Quad Phase Detection (Super QPD) and dual slope gain (DSG) technology.
