The problem with the megapixel wars is that we can't break the laws of physics -- tiny pixels can't gather a lot of light. So, for night shooting, Samsung's Tetracell tech gathers four of them together, giving you lower-resolution 12-megapixel photos but much better light sensitivity. The chips also have gyro-based electronic image stabilization and phase-detect autofocus.

If video is more your thing, you can shoot 4K video without the big loss in field of view that usually crops out videos on other sensors, Samsung noted. The GH1 sensor will go into mass production by the end of the year, so if you see a compact smartphone in 2020 with a 43.7-megapixel camera, you'll know which sensor it likely packs.