Sony’s IMX586 image sensor made its way to quite a few high-end smartphones this year, earning largely positive reviews from users and the media, but the company isn’t resting on its laurels yet. The Japanese tech giant has started teasing its next flagship mobile image sensor, the IMX686, which will be released in 2020 as a successor to the aforementioned 48MP sensor.
The two and a half minute video includes a number of images that Sony claims have been shot with the upcoming image sensor, using a prototype board connected to a PC. From what we can see, they do look pretty decent at first glance, especially in good lighting conditions. Having said that, these are not full-resolution images, so it’s difficult to say anything for certain at this stage.
There’s no word on the resolution of the IMX686, but early rumors suggest it might be in the 60-64MP range. While Samsung’s 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor is the reigning king in the megapixel battle, the IMX686 may turn out to be the biggest mobile image sensor ever from Sony if the rumors turn out to be accurate. Either way, we may not have to speculate for too long, given that Sony says it will confirm the tech specs via a press release soon.
The Sony IMX586 made its way to a number of smartphones from a wide variety of vendors this year, so it it will be interesting to see which phones use its successor in 2020. All bets are off at this stage, but we do expect to hear more on this subject going forward.
