Samsung has started mass production of its S5K3P3 image sensor for mobile devices and third parties can now purchase it from the group. It is a 16-megapixel sensor based on 1μm pixels, which greatly reduces the thickness.
By basing the sensor on 1μm pixels, the thickness of the camera module can be reduced by 20 percent to 5mm compared to a 16-megapixel variant based on 1.12μm pixels. This allows manufacturers to produce thinner mobile devices without sacrificing resolution, according to Samsung.
In addition, the sensor supports Samsung’s Isocell technology, which should prevent crosstalk between adjacent pixels by applying minuscule physical barriers between the pixels. This should result in less noise and more accurate color reproduction.
Samsung is already using the S5K3P3 sensor for its own Galaxy A8, the manufacturer’s thinnest device to date, and other manufacturers can also purchase the sensor immediately.