Sony Launches Advanced LYT-610 Image Sensor for Smartphone Telephoto Cameras
Sony Semiconductor Solutions introduced the LYT-610 CMOS image sensor on Tuesday. This new sensor mainly targets telephoto cameras in smartphones. It delivers better image resolution and faster autofocus performance.
Sony designed the LYT-610 with a groundbreaking RB2×2 On-Chip Lens (OCL) pixel structure. Moreover, it becomes the first mass-produced sensor in the industry to use this innovative design. As a result, future smartphones will capture sharper telephoto shots.
The LYT-610 features a 1/2-inch format and offers approximately 64 effective megapixels. Additionally, it uses a Quad Bayer color filter arrangement. This setup clusters four adjacent pixels with the same color filters. Therefore, the sensor combines high sensitivity with excellent resolution in one package.
Furthermore, the highlight lies in its RB2×2 OCL pixel structure. Sony combined two different lens designs on the same sensor. Green pixels employ a 1×1 OCL structure. This choice maximizes image detail and resolution. Meanwhile, red and blue pixels use a 2×2 OCL design. Four pixels share one lens here. Together, these elements create phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) points. Consequently, focusing becomes faster and more accurate.
Thanks to this new structure, the sensor achieves more than 20 percent higher spatial resolution. It outperforms conventional sensors that use the same 0.7-micron pixel size. In addition, Sony improved the readout speed through an upgraded analogue-to-digital conversion system. The logic circuits also benefit from a finer manufacturing process. This change reduces power consumption effectively.
In terms of video performance, the LYT-610 stands out as Sony’s first 1/2-inch smartphone sensor that supports 4K recording at up to 120 frames per second. It also handles 4K 60fps HDR video capture smoothly. Users can shoot full-resolution 64-megapixel still images at up to 24fps. When they switch to 16-megapixel mode, the sensor enables 60fps bursts and 30fps DAG-HDR shooting.
Finally, the LYT-610 supports both MIPI C-PHY and D-PHY interfaces. It delivers output speeds of up to 4.5Gsps per trio on C-PHY and 2.5Gbps per lane on D-PHY. Overall, this sensor will help smartphone makers close the quality gap between primary and telephoto cameras.