Sony’s new smartphone camera sensor could outshine Samsung’s Ultra series in real-world photography

What’s happened? Sony has unveiled its first 200MP smartphone camera sensor: LYTIA 901.

• The 1/1.12-inch sensor is bigger than the primary Samsung ISOCELL HP2 1/1.3-inch sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
• It deploys a Quad-Quad Bayer Coding (QQBC) layout and pairs it with AI-powered remosaicing built directly into the sensor, a new feature for smartphone photography.
• Sony’s latest sensor supports multi-mode output, ranging from 12.5MP (16-in-1 pixel binning) to 200MP, leveraging pixel binning.

Why is this important? The sensor offers strong video and zoom capabilities, with up to 4x in-sensor zoom and support for high-frame-rate video capture.

• Sony has also equipped the sensor with advanced HDR features, including a 12-bit pipeline and Dual Conversion Gain HDR, for impressive color and enhanced dynamic range.
• Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s primary sensor, the LYTIA 901 has a larger pixel size (0.6 µm vs. 0.7 µm), suggesting it can capture more light and offering a slight advantage in per-pixel single strength.
• The larger sensor and pixel size could help address the long-time compromises in smartphone photography.

Why should I care? Mass production of the new Sony sensor begins in November 2025.

• Furthermore, several Android manufacturers, including Oppo and Vivo, are rumored to use the sensor on their upcoming flagships, the Find X9 Ultra and the X300 Ultra, respectively.
• However, in the past, the Chinese manufacturers haven’t launched these smartphones in the United States. Anyway, Sony might release the sensor on one of its future flagships.
• For you, the Sony LYTIA 901 sensor should result in more natural-looking photos with better tones and textures, improved in-sensor zoom range, with more clarity in resultant shots, less noise in low-light environments, and better dynamic range.

OK, what’s next? The first smartphones using the LYTIA 901 sensor should hit the market in early 2026.

• Once the devices ship, we’ll see how Sony’s new sensor performs in real-world scenarios and whether it delivers on the promised detail, noise reduction, and zoom-related benefits.
• The sensor could raise the bar for smartphone photography, possibly pushing Samsung to improve its current-generation 200MP sensor.