Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has just announced that it has developed its own image sensor. The new sensor uses an array of RGBW color filters and according to the brand can collect 160% more light than a conventional RGBW equipped sensor.
Vivo has developed a new RGBW sensor that collects 160% more light
Vivo even claims that its new RGBW sensor will collect 15% more light than Huawei's RYYB sensors, but it won't be prone to color blending issues like RYYB's.
In the past, Sony has used an RGBW color filter in some of its Xperia cameras to collect more light than the conventional RGB matrix. The inherent problem with these RGBW-equipped sensors was the reduced resolution, a problem that today's processing algorithms handle quite well.
Vivo claims that devices with this new RGBW sensor are in development and will hit the market next year.
In addition to the new sensor, the Chinese brand also announced a new partnership with National Geographic to launch the Vision + Mobile Photography Awards. Users from all over the world will be able to submit their photos and the best will be rewarded. Vivo and National Geographic will post details about the competition on their respective websites.