Sony Announces LYTIA 50-Megapixel Mobile Image Sensor Lineup

[T0@st]

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) this week announced that it will ship a new line of LYTIA brand products, primarily 50-megapixel models, this fiscal year. LYTIA is the new product brand of image sensors for mobile devices developed by SSS. SSS has leveraged its imaging and sensing technologies to bring value to the market in a variety of ways and deliver a richer imaging experience to users. SSS is expanding its high-quality products under the LYTIA brand so that more users in the mobile market can benefit from its commitment to imaging as they use smartphones to capture images. The first step in this initiative is expanding the line of 50-megapixel products, as it is the most versatile resolution for use in current mobile applications.

More and more people today are using smartphones to enjoy imaging on a daily basis, and the way they use cameras are also diversifying with more and more smartphones coming with multiple built-in cameras. SSS plans to contribute to enhanced imaging experiences with LYTIA products that accommodate diverse shooting scenes and purposes.




About LYTIA
LYTIA is a new product brand of image sensors for mobile devices designed to deliver creative imaging experiences "beyond imagination." SSS is developing LYTIA products to support smartphone users who want greater freedom to express and share inspiring moments by offering imaging experiences that defy the imagination.

LYTIA product line and features
Details on the first 50-megapixel line from the LYTIA brand can be found below. New product numbers are used accompanying introduction of the new brand:



SSS will continue to develop and provide the LYTIA products using cutting-edge technology in order to position SSS's image sensors as the product of choice for smartphone users around the world. By pursuing the creative potential of combining imaging technology with smartphones, SSS will aim to contribute for the creation of a future where any user can enjoy shooting high-quality photos and videos and experience new imaging expressions.

LYTIA brand site: https://www.sony-semicon.com/en/products/is/mobile/index.html

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[King Mustard]

How will these differ from IMX?

 

[T0@st]

How will these differ from IMX?

Not sure - will have to do some more reading. Other sites claim that this is Sony's answer to ISOCELL (Samsung).

 

[Dristun]

Hmm. Judging by the slides and the website, these don't feature shiny new stuff Xperia 1 V's sensor has. Anyway, comparisons will tell the whole story when some of these hit the market inside actual smartphones.

 

[silentbogo]

How will these differ from IMX?

Just rebranding (Exmor T). Trying to catch up with Samsung on marketing side, just to make sure people know that this is a fresh and shiny stacked CMOS sensor.

 

[Minus Infinity]

Not sure - will have to do some more reading. Other sites claim that this is Sony's answer to ISOCELL (Samsung).

Which was Samsung's answer to Sony's BSI. Note Sony has said Lytia is not a replacement for IMX as this tech is currently only planned for mobile applications, not consumer/professional cameras.

What I have discovered is that Lytia is the branding given to Sony's new stacked pixel technology. Stacked pixel is not the same tech as stacked sensor, so it's not rebranding at all. Stacked pixel moves all the circuitry from the front of the sensor to behind the photodiode and the photodiode is ~ 2x larger in area, effectively doubling light throughput. Stacked sensor have a standard BSI design but have a layer of DRAM between the photodiode circuitry and the other electronics like ADC's.

I would love to see Lytia brought to larger sensors since it would effectively mean a much lower noise levels especially in low light, with 2x the collecting area for photons. A 100MP Lytia sensor would have same SNR and noise as regular 50MP BSI sensor.

I believe Samsung has something exciting in the pipeline called nano-colour routing that would replace the standard Bayer colour filter array with a 3D silicon nano-structure that routes red, green and blue light to separate pixels improved light transmission by 3x. So a totally different way of achieving results similar to Lytia. However, no idea if this is approaching commercialisation or is still just R&D.

 

[BIGMicro]

Unfortunately Sony XZ phones and currently series 1 and 5 lose to Samsung, Apple, Oppo, Vivo, Huawei. Sony phones take very nice pictures but their auto mode is also ~ 15% weaker. Night photos are much worse. In addition, the manual mode is not that brilliant and adding "pro" to the name does not change it. They may produce good sensors but their own phones in the field of photos are a bit behind the rest of the competition and they cost a lot.