The Samsung Galaxy S3 has hit the market surrounded by glamor. The manufacturer advertises it under the slogan "designed for humans." With its spectacular Super AMOLED screen with a diagonal of 4.8 inches (12.2 centimeters), it offers a resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels, similar to that of the screens of some laptops. This mobile phone with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system comes with two cameras , one on the front of 1.9 megapixels, valid for video calls. However, it is the main camera, located at the rear, which is now our concern.
The Korean manufacturer shows various data about the main camera of the Galaxy S III GT-I9300 . It says that it reaches a resolution of 8 Mpx . It has a digital zoom of four times and with autofocus . In addition, it integrates an LED flash and offers various shooting modes, similar to many compact cameras, such as smile shot, continuous shot or voice shot. It also makes it easy to take self-portraits and panoramic photos. There is even the possibility of obtaining high dynamic range images (HDR mode), where both dark and light areas are very detailed. It even allows you to select three photo effects, such as the old photo (sepia), the negative or the black and white.
So far not that the manufacturer publishes, but it is the specialists in repairs and in analyzing components that give more information about the Samsung Galaxy S3 camera . Chipworks together with iFixit have gutted the Korean's new smartphone, and have detected similarities between the image sensor of the Galaxy S3 and the one incorporated into the iPhone 4S . Both are made by Sony. According to Chipworks, it is a Sony backlit image sensor8 Mpx with a size of 1.4 microns; Also, those of Chipworks recognize that it is a new sensor, and that they will give more information about it soon. Those from iFixit add that the camera has a Sony BSI series sensor, which is similar to that of the iPhone 4S.
The specific model of the iPhone 4S sensor is known , which is a Sony IMX145 . However, regarding the sensor of the Galaxy S3, only the family to which it belongs is known, the Sony BSI , which is the same as that of the iPhone 4S. Both sensors are able to capture images of 8 megapixels . There the similarities end. Samsung uses its own lens and its own memory to complete the Galaxy S3 camera .
There are other interesting facts about the components used in the manufacture of the new Samsung smartphone . Chipworks has confirmed that the processor is a quad-core Samsung Exynos 4412, the Wi-Fi module is a Murata M2322007, and the NFC (Near Field Communications) chip is an NXP PN544. The stereo audio module is a Wolfson Microelectronics WM1811, which is intended for multimedia mobile phones and integrates a class D stereo amplifier and a very low power class W headphone driver.
Bottom photo: Chipworks / iFixit