A Revolution For Mobile Photographers?

credits: Omnivision

OmniVision just announced the OV50X, a new 1-inch image sensor aimed at flagship smartphones—and it's making some pretty bold claims. The big headline is its “close to 110 dB” of dynamic range, which roughly translates to 18 stops. That’s huge if true—more than most full-size camera sensors can offer.

The sensor itself is quite large for a phone (13.1x9.8mm), and it’s got a 50MP resolution with big 1.6μm pixels. In low light, it bins down to 12.5MP, boosting sensitivity and reducing noise. It can shoot at 180 FPS in that mode, and offers multi-frame and dual-gain HDR options depending on what the phone needs—so whether you're filming 4K in rough light or zooming in with digital crop, it's got flexibility.

Other specs? Full-sensor autofocus coverage with quad phase detection, plus tech built in to improve low-light and video performance. It's sampling to manufacturers now, with phones using it expected later in 2025. Whether it lives up to its hype in the real world remains to be seen—but it’s definitely a sensor to watch.