Samsung is developing a hybrid global‑shutter camera sensor and plans to debut it at ISSCC 2026; Apple is exploring similar tech for future iPhone imaging.
© RusPhotoBank
A shake-up is brewing in mobile photography: Samsung is pushing a new global-shutter camera technology, and, according to industry sources, Apple is paying especially close attention. With traditional smartphone form factors evolving more slowly, manufacturers are leaning harder into imaging innovation—and Samsung’s work could be the key to the next leap.
Today’s phones rely on rolling-shutter sensors, which introduce familiar distortions when capturing fast motion. Samsung, however, is developing a global-shutter image sensor that captures the entire frame at once—eliminating motion smear and geometric artifacts. The promise is straightforward: cleaner motion and truer geometry, the kind of upgrade people actually notice.
South Korean media report that Samsung has implemented a new pixel module: 1.5‑micrometer pixels are grouped into 2×2 blocks, enabling ADC integration at the pixel level, similar to large professional sensors. In effect, it yields a hybrid architecture that blends the advantages of rolling and global shutters—a pragmatic bridge between the old and the new.
A Samsung representative described the approach by noting that four pixels share one ADC; in that arrangement, only the 2×2 portion operates sequentially like a rolling shutter, while the rest can function as a global shutter.
The company plans to present the technology at ISSCC 2026, a premier international conference on semiconductor circuits.
Sources say Apple is also exploring the technology and holds patents tied to applying a global shutter in the iPhone. Against the backdrop of its rivalry with Samsung, the two companies are increasingly trading technologies and developing joint solutions for next‑generation CMOS sensors.
In parallel, Apple is pursuing several other innovations: a 24MP under‑display camera for the iPhone Fold; adopting Color Filter on Encapsulation for brighter, thinner screens; moving TrueDepth under the display in the iPhone 18 lineup; and using a 100‑megapixel LOFIC sensor in the iPhone 20. Analysts say LOFIC could significantly improve dynamic range and image quality in challenging scenes.
Taken together, it points to mobile cameras becoming the main battleground for flagship phones in the years ahead—with Samsung’s new approach poised to play a pivotal role.