In the not-so-distant future, Samsung may even release a 450MP sensor, which isn’t that unexpected judging by the company’s development speed and tenacity. The possibility was exposed by GalaxyClub, which cites a Samsung registration of a trademark for Hexa ² pixel. Of course, the trademark doesn’t state what it’s for, which is where some fan-made theories and computations been available in.
Samsung already uses its Tetra ² pixel trademark to describe its 4×4 pixel binning innovation utilized in the 200MP ISOCELL HP1 to produce a 12.5 MP image. Hexa ² pixel would then imply that it can integrating 6×6– or 32 pixels– into a single unit, which might imply that the sensor would require 400 million pixels to produce that exact same 12.5 MP image. It could go even more to 450MP if 3×3 pixels can be utilized to produce a 50MP image, much like with the ISOCELL HP1’s 2×2 configuration (by means of SamMobile).
Obviously, these are simply theoretical optimum figures, not to point out speculation based simply on a hallmark. It’s not implausible, given Samsung’s tendencies, but it won’t come without some costs, literally and figuratively. Such a sensor would naturally cost a lot more, and it would also use up more area inside. Ideally, by the time it does show up, rates and component sizes will have decreased substantially, making that 450MP sensing unit the equivalent of today’s 200MP electronic camera.