However, Sony is rumored to be working on a 100+ megapixel sensor for smartphones. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the first 100MP sensor from the firm will be aimed at the premium mid-range market, not the flagship sector.
A Sony IMX8 sensor is rumored to be in the works. The IMX800, a 54MP 1/1.49″ sensor featured in the Honor 70 series, just made its debut in the series. In the absence of information from DCS, we can only assume about the 100MP sensor. It will not be Sony’s heaviest or most powerful device because it is aimed at the mid-range market.
An IMX9 series is also being developed, according to the leaker, which is more powerful and can compete with Samsung’s sensors. Known as the 200MP HP1 sensor, Samsung is already advertising devices like Motorola’s Edge 30 Ultra (scheduled to be shown next month) and the Galaxy S23 Ultra (anticipated to be announced later this year) (coming next year). Not only that, but Samsung is also said to be working on a sensor that will be even larger than the GN2, which has a 1/1.12″ sensor.
Xperia Pro-I uses a 1.0-inch sensor, therefore Sony already has a large sensor. Sony had a difficult time squeezing the sensor onto a phone because it was originally developed for the RX100 VII camera (more details in our review).