The Huawei P series has always represented great progress in smartphone photography, both in terms of hardware and software. Leaks suggest that the upcoming P40 series will be no different. In 2020 we have already seen some smartphones coming with huge 108MP image sensors which are also bigger than what we had in the past. Samsung and Vivo have also set up periscope telephoto lenses for true optical zoom on their flagships. With the P40 series, struggling Huawei will aim to make up ground. New reports suggest that the Huawei P40 series will sport a custom Sony IMX700 52MP CMOS image sensor. It will be a modified version of the new IMX686 that will appear in many flagship products this year.
What makes the Sony IMX700 special?
Huawei P40 Pro concept rendering (Image credit: Gizchina) A 52MP resolution spread across a large 1/1.33-inch sensor will inherently bring larger pixels for better low-light images. In addition, it is also said that the 16-pixel binning will be combined where 16 adjacent pixels (4x4) will be combined to form a larger "super pixel" with a size of 4,48 μm, which will be by far the largest in a smartphone. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra can achieve a pixel size of 2,4μm by combining 9 adjacent pixels (non-cellular pixel binning), while the rest of the industry tops out at 1μm. It's also likely that the Huawei P8 series will implement a RYYB color chart again, instead of the Bayer RGGB filter seen on all other smartphones. This allows the sensor to collect 40% more light than a similar conventional sensor. RGB has been widely used in the past because red, green, and blue are the easiest colors for human vision to interpret. But tweaking the algorithm can give similar results even without a dedicated green lens or turning off the color balance. The main camera will be joined by an ultra-wide-angle shooter, a variable telephoto lens, and at least one 40D ToF depth sensor. We're also expecting a crazy level of ISO sensitivity (the P3 Pro could hit ISO 30), a multitude of AI-supported shooting modes, and improvements to video capture capabilities. While none of this has been confirmed yet, the Huawei P series has always been announced in March. If you want to follow this timeline, we should have official confirmation of the P4.09,600 and its capabilities in the next few days.