Sony reportedly working on its first-ever 200 MP smartphone camera, challenging Samsung’s monopoly
But what you might not be aware of, is that Samsung has had a monopoly over 200 MP image sensors as far as the smartphone market is concerned.
Of course, you will find the 200 MP camera as the main one for the last three generations of the Galaxy Ultra series, but whenever you hear companies like Xiaomi, Motorola, or Realme bragging about such a snapper, it is one likely made by Samsung.
A auto-translation of Digital Chat Station’s post on Weibo.
According to the tipster, Sony is planning to include this new 200 MP image sensor to the main camera of its upcoming flagship phones.
Why does a 200 MP camera matter, and will Sony’s be different?
You might have heard something along the line of “megapixels don’t matter” in a YouTube video or from us at one point, and that’s true for the most part. But mobile tech is improving, and cameras are always a big focus for R&D teams across different companies, as they tend to receive the most attention from customers.
High-resolution cameras like Samsung’s 200 MP one give the manufacturer flexibility. They allow a phone camera to capture more detail, enabling sharper images, especially when zooming or cropping. These sensors typically perform well in good lighting, but they can also do well in low light by combining pixels (“pixel-binning”).
Now, Sony is already quite popular as far as cameras go. The company has great proficiency in the camera department—it even manufactures professional cameras—with other manufacturers like Apple, Xiaomi, and Oppo regularly rely on its cameras in their premium smartphones.
According to Digital Chat Station, the 200 MP image sensor that Sony is working to release this year won’t simply match Samsung’s, but it will be even better thanks to a larger sensor size. Right now, Samsung’s largest 200 MP sensor measures at 1/1.3″.
Why does sensor size matter?
Better Low-Light Performance – More light captured means less noise in dark environments.
Improved Dynamic Range – A larger sensor can retain more details in bright and dark areas of an image.
Shallower Depth of Field – A bigger sensor naturally creates more background blur (bokeh), improving portrait photography.
Higher Image Quality – More surface area means larger pixels, which improves overall sharpness and clarity.
Samsung’s current largest 200MP sensor is 1/1.3-inch in size, but Sony is reportedly working on an even larger one. If true, this could mean better image quality, particularly in low-light conditions.
