ISOCELL camera sensor is a new innovative technology in the mobile phone industry. I first noticed the term when I was going through the specifications of OnePlus X. I did a small research and found out that the ISOCELL sensor has higher image quality than the other sensors used in smartphones and tablets. The technology is a brainchild of the Samsung Company and is set to revolutionize the phone industry. Some Samsung smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S5 contains this particular camera sensor as opposed to BSI sensor. ISOCELL uses a technology that is unique from other past camera sensors. ISOCELL camera has integrated barriers between the individual pixels.
The ISOCELL camera being a relatively new term in the market, one would wonder how it works, and its benefits over the backside-illuminated (BSI) sensors. Picture quality is usually affected by the amount of light a camera can capture in each of its pixel. With the ISOCELL camera’s barriers, it is possible to reduce crosstalk between them by 30 percent hence reducing noise in low-light conditions. The cells also improve on the back side illumination, each pixel is said to have a light increasing capacity of 30 percent enhancing dynamic range of light.
The conventional BSI sensors on the contrary have photons and photoelectrons between pixels that leak light which often reduces image sharpness and color accuracy. According to sources from Samsung, ISOCELL sensors are slimmer than the BSI sensors making them suitable for slim superphones. This is the trend nowadays, as smartphone manufacturers tend to prefer thin and smaller pixels on sensors to increase resolution.
The ISOCELL camera technology truly has many advantages. As we have seen by just isolating each pixel with a barrier, the correct photons remain directed to the right cells and therefore increasing photo clarity. The BSI sensors on the other hand have high crosstalk leading to lower color fidelity. That is why the ISOCELL camera is attributed to improved sharpness and richness of photos.
Also, with the ISOCELL sensor’s barriers, the photodiode can be increased. This allows for more light from different angles, allowing the lens to be adjusted. It allows reducing the height of the camera module, which is suitable for slim mobile devices.
ISOCELL aims to solve the problem of small pixels. Samsung the manufacturers of the sensors aim to use the ISOCELL in smartphone cameras. It is also important to note that as the pixel density increases on larger sensors the ISOCELL might be used in larger devices in the future. As for now, Samsung has started testing the sensors in its Samsung galaxy S5 series and S6 series.
The latest phone from OnePlus comes with an ISOCELL camera. Acoording to the company, this is the best camera sensor which you can expect in a phone with this price. The OnePlus X is priced at Rs.17000 in India.
Hello Abhijith,
It’s amazing to know about the Isocell camera , Before reading the article I just heard the Name of it but your article is great now I have total knowledge about it,