Samsung's Global Shutter-Level Image Sensor Could Arrive on Future Flagship Galaxy Smartphones: Report

Samsung is said to be developing a new image sensor that will be implemented on its next-generation flagships. According to a report, it may be capable of global shutter-level shooting by incorporating a new pixel structure and algorithms on existing rolling shutter hardware. This could potentially result in better images of fast-moving objects and reduced subject warping compared to the rolling shutters, which are used as the main sensor in most smartphones today.

Samsung's New Camera Sensor for Next-Gen Galaxy Flagships

Cameras with global shutters can capture fast-moving images better than rolling sensors, but it comes at the cost of image resolution due to the demand for large pixels. However, Samsung's in-development sensor can deliver global shutter-level camera performance while maintaining a high resolution, according to a report by the South Korean publication Sisa Journal.

This sensor is reportedly being developed to implement it in the next-generation Galaxy flagship smartphones.

While it still uses a rolling shutter, the South Korean tech conglomerate is reported to have applied a new pixel structure and an “optical flow” algorithm on top of the existing shutter technology to compensate for the motion. The report mentions that this sensor has a 1.5-micrometre pixel pitch and a 12-megapixel class lens. Instead of using a separate Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for converting pixel data into digital signals, Samsung's sensor reportedly includes an ADC at the pixel level itself.

The company is said to have kept the physical pixel size at 1.5-micrometre but it has been bundled in a 2x2 formation, so that it functions as a 3-micrometre pixel unit.

“By applying that including the algorithm, a high-resolution image sensor with global shutter characteristics became possible even at a very small pixel pitch,” the publication cited a Samsung official as saying.

The report stated several benefits of this new sensor. While a rolling shutter sequentially scans and exposes pixel lines, a global shutter simultaneously exposes them to read data. Thus, it is claimed to have the capability of capturing fast-moving objects as a still image.

Samsung reportedly submitted a research paper for this technology at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference, and the company may officially announce more details during the conference next year, held between February 15–19, 2026.