New software solution for ISOCELL Dual image sensors supports refocusing and low light shooting in hardware-constrained mid- to entry-level smartphones

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced a total dual camera solution with ISOCELL Dual image sensors and proprietary software for two popular features – refocusing (bokeh) and low-light shooting (LLS). While such dual camera features had generally been exclusive to premium smartphones, Samsung’s ISOCELL Dual sensors and its library of proprietary software algorithms enable these features in lower price mobile devices.

“Dual cameras are delivering new and exciting photo-taking experiences on mobile devices,” said Ben K. Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s total solution for ISOCELL Dual will make our customers’ product development process easier, allowing them to bring the most optimized dual camera features to a wider range of consumers.”

Dual camera smartphones have two image sensors that capture different light information, enabling new features like refocusing and LLS. With these benefits, dual cameras are a growing trend in premium mobile devices. However, integrating dual cameras can be a difficult process for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), as it requires time-consuming optimization between the OEMs and different vendors developing the sensors and algorithm software. Samsung’s total dual camera solution will simplify that process and enable mid- to entry-level mobile devices to take advantage of certain camera features mainly available in premium devices equipped with an extra image signal processor.

To accelerate development and reduce optimization difficulties with dual camera smartphones, Samsung now offers the industry’s first total dual camera solution, with both ISOCELL Dual sensor hardware and sensor-optimized algorithm software. This enables even mid- to entry-level mobile devices to utilize popular dual camera features like refocusing and LLS. Samsung is coupling its refocusing algorithm with a 13 megapixel (Mp) and 5Mp set of image sensors, and its LLS algorithm with a set of two 8Mp sensors, to simplify implementation by OEMs.