Latest 1-inch camera for smartphones might debut with eerily familiar specs

According to the latest leaks, there are a few new camera sensors to look out for during the impending 2025/26 Android flagship season, the Sony LYT-828 and SmartSens SC590XS included. The latter might have a higher-end sibling to deal with on its launch.

It will debut as the SC5A5XS, according to the typically knowledgeable leaker Digital Chat Station, with the same 50MP/1-inch profile that is a key feature of the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra or Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

It might also boast SmartSens' SuperPixGain HDR 2.0 thanks to 110 decibels (dB) of dynamic range, and support advanced "SmartClarity-XL Pro" detail as it is apparently made of appreciably small 1.6µm pixels.

Those specs might spark some déjà vu in some Omnivision fans, as those exact specs were also announced for the OV50X, that company's own new 1-inch sensor for smartphones. 

Furthermore, the SC5A5XS is based on a 28 nanometer (nm) process (like that of a very outdated, underpowered mobile SoC), even though SmartSens has used more up-to-date 22nm technology in the past.

The sensor might be taken up by handset manufacturers for its on-trend attributes nonetheless. Their identities remain unknown at the time of writing, although Digital Chat Station hints that Xiaomi has gone with another option - the SC5A5XS' immediate predecessor, perhaps - for its upcoming 16 Ultra super-flagship.