A new 1-inch camera sensor is here to rival Samsung and Sony

It's more than a year away until we get to see if any 2027 iPhone model (coming in the fall, probably) will pack the hot Sony LYT-901 camera sensor, as we discussed yesterday.

Unveiled late in 2025, the LYT-901 has serious potential to become the most sought-after sensor for serious flagships. We'll see what the upcoming Vivo X300 Ultra and the Oppo Find X9 Ultra will make out of it, since both of these phones are expected to use it for their main cameras.

But there's a new, bigger player in town.

SmartSens and the SC5A6XS

SC5A6XS is not the most natural-sounding moniker out there, but this is what the Chinese image sensor company SmartSens has chosen for their new sensor.

The SC5A6XS sensor is big in terms of mobile imaging systems: it's a 1-inch format sensor. For reference, the aforementioned LYT-901 by Sony is a 1/1.12-inch one (still huge for phones).

The new 50 MP sensor is designed for flagship devices, so don't expect it on any sub-$1,000 devices anytime soon. The SC5A6XS is presented as focused on dynamic range, video performance and efficiency. Built on a 22nm stacked process, it features the company's Lofic HDR 3.0 technology, delivering up to 115dB dynamic range to better preserve details in both bright and dark areas.



The sensor uses multi-frame fusion within a single exposure to improve HDR results while reducing motion artifacts, which is especially useful for video. It supports 4K recording at 120fps and 4K HDR at 60fps, targeting advanced mobile video capabilities.

It includes large 1.6μm pixels (to gather more light) and SFCPixel technology to boost light sensitivity and reduce noise in low-light conditions. Autofocus combines full-pixel AllPix ADAF with phase detection for faster and more reliable performance.

SmartSens has also improved power efficiency, cutting HDR-related consumption by around 11%. The sensor is currently in sampling and is expected to enter mass production in Q2 2026, likely appearing in upcoming flagship smartphones such as Huawei's next-generation models.

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