Samsung Galaxy S22 could have a 50MP RGBW camera — here's what that means

Samsung Galaxy S22 could have a 50MP RGBW photographic camera — hither's what that ways

(Paradigm credit: Future)

Although all eyes are on the upcoming Milky way Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip three, Samsung however has a lot going on behind the scenes for the next big affair. In this case, nosotros have some potential new information on one of the new cameras for adjacent year'southward Galaxy S22.

Well-known leaker Ice Universe mentioned two bombshells in one tweet. The first is that Samsung's 200MP ISOCELL sensor will be available in September 2021. The other tidbit is that the Korean manufacturer is too working on a 50MP RGBW camera sensor. Another tipster so replied to Water ice Universe'southward tweet, saying that the 50MP sensor volition appear in the Galaxy S22.

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What RGBW could hateful for Galaxy S22

But you might be left asking: What does RGBW mean? Most camera sensors, peculiarly the ones in phones, rely on cherry, green, and blue (RGB) sub-pixels to reproduce colors for a photograph. This supposed 50MP sensor adds a 4th white sub-pixel, thus RGBW.

That then begs the question: What would a white sub-pixel offer that the traditional RGB ones don't? The answer isn't exactly elementary, since the white sub-pixel could accept several applications. The one we believe will be most relevant to people who utilize a telephone with that sensor (possibly the Milky way S22) is that the white will help with highlights in high-contrast scenes.

So this 50MP is going to a select clients and will be seen on S22 seriesAugust ane, 2021

Usually, a telephone has to compensate for the high-contrast using what it has available in the RGB spectrum, but having a dedicated white sub-pixel could make the final images expect more realistic. Those photos could look similar something akin to what our eyes see, at to the lowest degree in theory. That doesn't have into consideration Samsung's other post-processing.

That said, having a RGBW sensor could mean a lot for enhanced photos and videos, especially in challenging situations. But the sensor itself is just a piece of the pie and it alone cannot produce "good" pictures. Phones nowadays do a lot of the editing work for us. Some, like the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12, favor more naturalistic color reproduction and others, like the Galaxy S21, prefer a more saturated wait. What appeals to you lot is a personal pick.

We're still a ways out from the Milky way S22 — probable January or February 2022 — merely we're likely to hear more details trickle out before then. In the meantime, we have new foldables to get excited about, as Unpacked is just a calendar week out. So check out our preview hubs for the Galaxy Z Fold three and Milky way Z Flip iii.

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Hashemite kingdom of jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom'south Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written virtually phones for over five years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but yous tin best accomplish him on Twitter.