OmniVision OV50X 1-Inch Camera Sensor With 8K HDR Video Recording Support Launched

OmniVision OV50X was recently unveiled as the company's latest camera sensor for flagship smartphones. It is the successor to the OV50H sensor that was introduced in 2023. The new 1-inch sensor uses OmniVision's TheiaCel technology, which works in tandem with the sensor's lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) to offer better image quality in more challenging scenarios. OmniVision claims that the new OV50X CMOS sensor can deliver "movie-grade video capture" with up to 8K HDR video recording support on high-end phones.

The company says that the new OmniVision OV50X sensor is sampling now, and customers will have to wait until Q3 2025 — when mass production is scheduled to begin — to see it arrive on new smartphones.

OmniVision OV50X Specifications, Features

The new OmniVision OV50X sensor is a 1-inch camera sensor that measures 13.1x9.8mm with up to 50-megapixel resolution. The 1.6-micron (µm) pixel size is also higher than its predecessor's 1.2µm pixels. The firm also claims that the sensor is capable of delivering "close to" 100db single-exposure HDR for image capture, using its TheiaCel technology.

A demo of the OV50X sensor
Photo Credit: OmniVision

According to the company, the OV50X camera sensor supports four-cell pixel binning for low light scenarios, which means devices can capture 12.5-megapixel images at up to 180fps. When the sensor's three-channel HDR is used, the fps drops to 60fps.

OmniVision has touted the improved video recording performance of the OV50X sensor, claiming that it can capture 8K video with an in-sensor crop zoom and dual analogue gain (DAG) HDR, along with quad phase detection autofocus. This allows it to bypass the 35-megapixel requirement for 8K video recording.

The company also revealed a sample showcasing the improved dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) offered by the new OV50X camera sensor. However, we'll need to wait to see more real world camera samples to see how much of a jump in performance the OmniVision OV50X offers over the OV50H, and how it fares against the ccompetition.