Samsung begins mass production of its Dual Pixel sensor for mobile

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are the first handsets in the world to feature Dual Pixel technology, and now the South Korean conglomerate behind them also announces that mass production of the 12 MP Dual Pixel sensor they use has begun already. Obviously, it is only a matter of time until Samsung decides to license this top-of-the-line hardware part to other smartphone makers.

Thanks to the Dual Pixel technology, this sensor can speed up autofocus by using all the pixels available while conventional smartphone sensors only use a mere 5 percent. DSLR cameras have been using this technology for a while to obtain improved low-light performance. According to a Samsung official, "With 12 million pixels working as a phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) agent, the new image sensor brings professional auto-focusing performance to a mobile device."

In addition to Dual Pixel, this new hardware part for mobiles also uses Samsung's ISOCELL technology that reduces color cross talk and maximizes the performance of the image sensor. In addition to ISOCELL and Dual Pixel, the Dual Pixel sensor also uses chip stacking, bringing together a 65 nm sensor and a 28 nm logic chip.