Samsung is reportedly working on a 20-megapixel camera sensor for a phone due in the second half of 2014, following the as-yet-unconfirmed Galaxy S5.
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According to ETNews, which also recently predicted the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone in February or March 2014, insider sources have said that the company is working on a 20-megapixel imaging sensor, autofocus and lens assembly to be used in a phone being released in the second half of 2014.
If Samsung’s track record is any indication, the second half of 2014 will see the launch of the Galaxy Note 4, likely with other class-leading hardware and a screen size of around 6 inches. However, Samsung could be releasing a phone focused largely on photography, similar to the Galaxy S4 Zoom or the Nokia Lumia 1020.
A 20-megapixel camera wouldn’t necessarily put Samsung at the top of the mobile imaging game; Nokia’s Lumia 1020 boasts a massive 41 megapixels, and Sony’s Xperia Z1 already equals Samsung’s next-generation sensor. Samsung could be working on an innovation or an entirely new sensor technology, though, or it could differentiate itself with software features alone.
It has been suggested that the Galaxy S5 will have a 16-megapixel sensor, according to ETNews, and that sensor will be used in a quarter of all smartphones made by Samsung in 2014. With the Korean manufacturer having so many models on the market, it’s likely that the 20-megapixel sensor will be restricted to a small range of premium devices.