Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The S22 Ultra's successor will not adopt Samsung's new 200 MP sensor

Hours ago, Samsung debuted its second 200 MP sensor, the ISOCELL HP3. Earlier rumors claimed the HP3 could make its way into the Galaxy S23 Ultra as a replacement for the 108 MP HM3 but it now appears those rumors were off the mark.

According to Ice Universe, Samsung will not equip the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the new 200 MP ISOCELL HP3 after all. A quick look at the HP3's spec sheet provides the reason: the new 200 MP sensor is not designed for flagship use. For one, it's a 1/1.4-inch sensor, making it smaller than the 1/1.33-inch HM3 on the S22 Ultra. The 200 MP HP3 features 0.56 μm native pixels, versus the HM3's 0.8 μm pixels, and even after 16-in-1 binning on the HP3, the HM3 remains ahead at 2.4 μm, versus the new sensor's 2.24 μm.

While the ISOCELL HP3 will not be used on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, that doesn't rule out the possibility of another 200 MP sensor. The 200 MP ISOCELL HP1, for example, is a high-end sensor that outperforms the Galaxy S22 Ultra's 108 camera on paper. The HP1 will make its debut on Motorola's upcoming flagship, however, and is also unlikely to be seen on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Instead, Samsung could release yet another 200 MP sensor, perhaps based on the HP1—in a relationship similar to the Mi Note 10's HMX and the S20 Ultra's HM1. 

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