Advanced ToF ISOCELL Vizion sensor in Samsung flagships? It is high time
Samsung is preparing a new generation ToF camera
When the top-end Galaxy S appeared ten years ago, it had a modest 5 megapixel camera by today’s standards. Since then, Samsung has rapidly expanded its mobile photography capabilities to the point where its flagships have been at the forefront of not only stylish design and functionality, but cameras as well. Modern top-end devices of the company are far from outsiders, but they are not absolute leaders either.
Samsung does not intend to put up with this state of affairs and its engineers’ minds are busy creating an advanced Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor that will find its way into future flagships. This week, she submitted an application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office to register the ISOCELL Vizion trademark.
The accompanying documentation says that the brand is planned to be used in connection with the company’s ToF cameras, designed for smartphones, tablets and other consumer electronics. Among the possibilities it is said that they can act as biometrics sensors for face recognition. This clearly indicates that the company is considering installing them on the front panel.
Recall that the ToF camera measures the time it takes for light to bounce off an object. The delay time allows you to determine the distance. In this way, the ToF sensor creates a 3D map of the surrounding world. Today, such sensors are involved in blurring the background when taking photos, tracking gestures and creating 3D models.
At the moment there is no understanding at what stage the development is and how soon the company will start mass production of the first sensor. The news comes amid rumors that Samsung is serious about expanding its sensor production in 2021 to reduce its reliance on third-party vendors.
It is speculated that the first ISOCELL Vizion-branded sensor will appear in the Galaxy S21, which should be expected to debut in the first quarter of next year. True, there are predictions that in the case of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the company ditched the ToF sensor in the cameras in favor of a second telephoto lens.