Check out the latest tech and unique accessories launched in India

Microsoft announces new Bing and Edge browser with ChatGPT AI

The race to bring AI to the mainstream consumer has begun with a fiery start. It was ChatGPT that shook up the literary world with its amazing skills be it in having conversations with people or writing essays and scripts. Then came Google who just recently announced its Google Bard chatbot AI having similar skills. Though it is not available for the general public just yet, it is in the extensive testing stage getting ready to be unleashed to the world. What was not expected though is Microsoft to quickly introduce its newer version of the search engine Bing. The new search engine has been upgraded with the same technology that underpins the chatbot ChatGPT.

Microsoft steps into the AI race

Microsoft will be launching the enhanced search engine Bing with chatbot AI coupled with new AI-enhanced features for its Edge browser. The company promises that the two will provide a new experience for both browsing the web and finding information on the web. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the new products in an event stating “it’s a new day in search” The CEO added that the basic experience of web search has not changed in decades but the addition of AI will improve it significantly delivering information more quickly than the traditional ways.

The ‘AI Race’ analogy is not something just I am propagating as even Nadella believes, “The race starts today, and we’re going to move and move fast”

The company also showcased some demos of what it’s calling “The new Bing” I personally would’ve gone with Bing 2.0 but to each his own! Microsoft showed a number of searches as examples. In one of the demos, Bing was asked to prepare an itinerary for each day of a 5-day trip to Mexico City. The chatbot was quick to prepare an itinerary alongside links to sources for more information. One advantage of the New Bing over ChatGPT is that it can retrieve news even about recent events. Microsoft has revealed that all the features are powered by an upgraded version of ChatGPT 3.5, the OpenAI language model that powers ChatGPT. This is called the ‘Prometheus Model’ by Microsoft and the company says it is more powerful than GPT 3.5.

Google unveils ChatGPT rival named ‘Bard’

ChatGPT quickly became a topic of divided discussion all over the internet since its inception in November 2022. While some considered the chatbot AI to be a step in the right direction, others feared the concept altogether. Whether we like it or not, the chatbot AI is here to stay as now Google has announced its very own ChatGPT rival titled Bard. Google’s chatbox AI is based on its controversial LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications). The announcement comes only a few days after Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed its development in an earnings call. It is reported that Google management labelled ChatGPT as ‘Code Red’ when the AI platform received a positive response from users around the world. Here is everything you need to know about Google’s chatbox AI Bard –

What is it?

Similar to ChatGPT, Google Bard is also an AI-powered chatbot that can offer solutions to your queries in a conversational way. Google has revealed that Bard draws information from the internet in order to provide high-quality and fresh responses. It is powered by LaMDA at its core which is Google’s language model built on Transformer, a neural network architecture. It was Google Research back in 2017 that invented and then open-sourced Transformer back in 2017. Readers will be surprised to know that ChatGPT relies on GPT-3 language model which was also built on Transformer.

Google Bard Access

As of now, Google Bard is not available for testing to the general public. Only a select few users have access to Google’s chatbot AI. In order to receive greater feedback on the chatbot AI, Google is releasing a lightweight model version of LaMDA that requires significantly less computing power. The post shared by Sundar Pichai reads that Google will combine external feedback with their own internal testing in order to ensure Bard’s responses are up to quality along with safety and groundedness in real-world information.

This will be the second time Google is trying its luck with LaMDA as it was back in July 2022 when a former employee had branded the AI sentient. Blake Lemoine, a former software engineer at Google has claimed that the language model offered sexist and racist responses. While Google has been working on its own language model for a while, it halted its public rollout due to the allegations from its employee. It will be interesting to see how this supposedly sentient chatbot AI turns out to be.

Safer Internet Day: How to protect yourself on the internet

People born in the 80s and 90s have surely seen the internet take over the way we communicate with one another. Social media and other internet avenues have transformed how people spend their time, with the majority spending it on the internet. The Internet is the only place where people can find all kinds of information on a wide range of topics. Users can indulge in the topics of their liking be it cooking or pop culture and even find a community sharing the same interest. While it has made our lives convenient, there is also a flip side to the internet with the dangers of cyber crimes. In order to raise awareness about the dark side of the Internet, Safer Internet Day is celebrated every day.

Internet surfing is a common practice these days thus it is easy for us to forget the danger it poses. Today, services like even banking and education are online which ask us to fill out sensitive information on web portals. Negligence while using the internet could result in financial loss, data leak, and /or misuse of personal information. In order to ensure internet safety, here are some rules you must follow while surfing the web:

Strong Passwords

Most people tend to use weak passwords which they can easily remember. However, it is really important for users to select complex passwords which cannot be easily guessed. When the complexity of the password is higher, the chances of it getting cracked goes down considerably. Thus it is advised for users to not use their names followed by their birthdates as their passwords. Other classic examples also include the mother’s name, the pet’s name, the significant other’s name, and more.

Two-factor authentication

Social media hacking has sadly emerged to be a common practice in today’s time where many innocent users fall prey to cyber crimes. Many social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have the option of two-factor authentication where users can link their devices to their SIM number and/or receive security codes via mail. This enables users to get additional security for their accounts as just login and password credentials do not give access to the account. Enabling two-factor authentication on social media accounts prevents them from getting hacked easily.

Do not download files from unknown sources

I know it can be tempting to download the latest Marvel film on your phone/laptop just a day after it releases through piracy and/or torrent websites. However, doing so is only allowing viruses into your device with open hands. Consider downloading a file from shady websites as inviting someone into your house and they bringing uninvited guests along with them, doesn’t sound good right?

Use safe browsers

Some may not be aware of this but access to your web activity and data is sold to the highest bidding internet giants around the world that make millions using your data. Thus, it is really important to use a safe browser that does not save your private data. Brave and Firefox are some of the options for users looking to safely surf the internet without their data getting leaked.

Do not click on pop-ups

At this point, the record has been scratched multiple times about how internet users should not click on notorious pop-up advertisements. One can never be sure what is behind the pop-up as it can contain malware. Also, one can never be sure if the pop-up will close once you click the close window.

Tech layoffs hit Dell as it plans to slash 5% of its workforce

It was back in 2022 when the significant headlines coming from the tech industry revolved around layoffs. Major tech players like Google, Twitter, Microsoft, and more decided to let go of a big chunk of their employee force due to plummeting stocks and economic slowdown. It was expected that the tech industry would make a considerable recovery in 2023 but the first quarter of 2023 paints a different picture. Now, joining other tech players is the PC giant Dell, which is gearing up to lay off 6,650 or roughly 5% of its employees.

Dell layoffs

Dell Technologies is going through massive changes as the PC and infrastructure giant has laid off 6,650 of its employees. This amounts to roughly 5% of its global workforce of 133,000. Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and co-COO of Dell Technologies wrote a letter to employees announcing layoffs stating that the steps taken to stay ahead of the downturn impacts that enabled strong quarters in a row are now no longer enough. The message was titled ‘Preparing for the road ahead’ where Clarke revealed that growth has been declining in Dell’s primary PC business. Dell reported PC sales plummeted by nearly 30 per cent in the third fiscal quarter.

While it is confirmed that Dell will layoff a big chunk of its employee force, it is still unknown where they will occur inside the company. The structural changes being implemented are still unknown and the founder, Chariman, and CEO Michael Dell not making the layoffs announcement has raised eyebrows too.

It was previously reported that Dell was implementing several cost-cutting measures like pause on hiring and limits on travel. However, the recent letter by Dell’s COO states that the measures are no longer enough. The letter viewed by Bloomberg also states that the company views department reorganization and job reductions as an opportunity to drive efficiency. After the reduction of employees, Dell will reach its lowest employee force in about six years. According to a March 2022, only one-third of the company’s employees are US-based. The company is expected to provide further information on the financial impact of the job cuts during the fiscal fourth-quarter results on March 2.

Tech Launches of the Month

OnePlus 11 5G

OnePlus is about to launch its much-awaited flagship smartphone, OnePlus 11 5G, in India on Feb 7th. The smartphone arrives with significant changes, especially on the backside, where it has a strange-looking large camera unit but in a round shape. The smartphone sports a 6.7-inch 2K resolution 120Hz AMOLED screen and is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Specs:

Battery – 5000 mAh

Colours – Black and Green

Camera – 50MP+32MP+48MP / 16MP Selfie Camera

Storage/RAM – 256GB/12GB RAM, 256GB/16GB RAM, 512GB/16GB RAM

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series

Samsung launched S23 Series smartphones at the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event; the list includes S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra. The S23 series smartphones are made with a focus on sustainability and with some improvements over the Galaxy S22 series. The S23 series phones have a redesigned chassis with a flatter edge, and rounded corners offering a better grip and in-hand feel when using the devices.

Specs:

Battery –

3900 mAh (S23) / 4700 mAh (S23+) / 5000 mAh (S23 Ultra)

Colours –

Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime – S23 & S23+

Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red – S23 Ultra

Camera –

50MP+10MP+12MP (S23 & S23+) / 200 MP+10MP+10MP+12MP (S23 Ultra)

Storage/RAM –

128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM – S23

256GB/8GB RAM, 512GB/8GB RAM – S23+

256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM – S23 Ultra

OnePlus Buds Pro 2

After a gap of two years, OnePlus is set to launch a premium segment earbuds. The Buds Pro 2 offers the same basic design, a two-tone finish on the buds, and a matte charging case just like its predecessor. In terms of features, the Buds Pro 2 brings noise cancelling, Dolby Atmos spatial audio and sound tuning by Dynaudio.

Specs:

40 dB Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation

11mm Dynamic Drivers

Warp charge – 10 minutes for 10 hours

38 hours of battery

IP 55 Water and Sweat Resistance

Dolby Atmos Support

Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro and Book3 Pro 360

Samsung announced the Galaxy Book 3 Pro series laptops during a Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event, where the brand revealed the Galaxy Book3 Pro and Galaxy Book3 Pro 360. All these laptops will be available for purchase from Feb 17th. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro arrives in a 14-inch and 16-inch display, while the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 comes in a single option 16-inch variant.

Specs:

CPU – 13th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 P-series (28W)

Graphics – Intel Iris Xe graphics

Storage – 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

RAM – 8GB / 16GB / 32GB

Colours – Graphics and Beige

Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra

Launched at the Galaxy Unpacked event, Galaxy Book3 Ultra is set to release on Feb 24th. The super stylish laptop arrives with a 16-inch 3K OLED display, an Intel Core i7 processor, battery life of up to 17.5 hours, 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. The laptop has one of the latest graphics cards, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, to keep you updated with the latest games.

Specs:

CPU – 13th Gen Intel Core i9

GPU – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

Storage / RAM – 512 GB SSD / 32 GB

Display – 16 inches, 2880 x 1800 pixels

Oppo Reno 8T

OPPO launched the OPPO Reno 8T 5G with the budget king chipset – Snapdragon 695. The smartphone sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 32MP selfie camera and 108MP primary camera coupled with a 2MP depth and a 40x microscopic lens. Reno 8T 5G also flaunts a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4800mAh battery that is powered by 67W Supervooc charging. It comes with 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage options.

Specs:

Battery – 4800 mAh

Storage / RAM – 128GB/8GB and 256GB/8GB

Colours – Black Starlight (Midnight Black) and Dawn Gold (Sunrise Gold)

Xiaomi India announces long term partnership with German camera maker Leica

Mobile photography is an ever-growing landscape in the tech industry. over the years, we have seen a number of smartphone brands collaborating with mainstream camera makers worldwide to take mobile photography to the next level. There is no denying that mobile photography in its current state does not compare to the quality of DSLR cameras and there is a big gap to bridge. However, smartphone manufacturers making efforts to make phone photography better with collaborations with camera pioneers is definitely a step in the right direction. Xiaomi India has now announced a long-term strategic partnership with German camera maker Leica to develop innovative solutions in the smartphone camera module segment.

Xiaomi x Leica

Xiaomi India and Leica Camera have announced a long-term partnership revolving entirely around mobile imaging. According to an official statement, the aim of this collaboration “is the joint development of innovative solutions in the smartphone camera module segment as well as the optimization of optical performance. The strategic alliance between Xiaomi and Leica Camera AG demonstrates the passion to continuously push the limits of what is technologically possible. In addition to innovative strength and premium standards, the two companies are united by the commitment to uncompromising quality. The collaboration between Xiaomi and Leica provides fantastic opportunities. Both are global brands with a clear focus on the entire customer journey and successfully engage with their customers across multiple languages, cultures, channels, and devices.”

According to the official statement, Xiaomi and Leica’s partnership aims at bringing advanced camera capabilities to the smartphone photography arena. The partnership aims at pushing the boundaries of mobile photography with Leica providing expertise in optical engineering, design, imaging software, and consumer experience to help Xiaomi achieve the best imaging prowess. The statement reads – “Xiaomi has been making breakthroughs in the smartphone photography space and has extensive experience in the research and development of imaging systems and AI algorithms. Leica brings its comprehensive expertise in optical engineering, design, imaging software and consumer experience related to the art of photography to the partnership. Leica supports Xiaomi in its efforts to achieve the best possible imaging results in the field of smartphone photography – and to take it to the next level of quality. The globally recognised expertise of Leica is based in large parts on its ability to guarantee the tightest tolerances on the market. This justified claim to excellence is of course also an integral part of the technology partnership with Xiaomi and is implemented in the production processes of the camera modules to ensure supreme quality.”

Samsung S23 Series launched with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

After multiple speculations, leaks and massive hype, the Samsung S23 Series has finally launched globally and in India. Tech giant Samsung held its first ever in-person event in three years in San Francisco titled ‘Unpacked’ where it unveiled its flagship S23 series. This time around the S23 series consists of three smartphones: Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 Plus, and the standard Galaxy S23. Here is everything you need to know about the Galaxy S23 series launched by Samsung –

Samsung S23 Ultra

Starting off with the ‘Big Daddy’ in the S23 series: The S23 Ultra. The powerful Ultra variant in this latest series comes with a 200MP F1.7 Super Quad Pixel camera. It houses the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 series processor which enhances both the gaming and day-to-day performance with more than 40% faster GPU. The S23 Ultra houses a 6.8-inch QHD display with a 3088×1440 resolution. This Dynamic AMOLED 2X display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. When it comes to storage options the S23 Ultra is available in 8+256/ 12+256/ 12+512/ 12+1TB variants respectively. It houses a 5000mAh battery with Super Fast Charging 2.0 support. Talking about the cameras, there’s a 12MP Dual Pixel camera capable of night selfie and spring an AI Object-aware engine. Besides the mammoth 200MP lens, the S23 also comes with a 10MP (3X) Telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP Telephoto (10x) lens respectively. It’ll be available in Phantom Black, Green, Cream, and Lavender colour options.

Samsung S23 and S23+

Both the S23 and S23+ are pretty much the same devices except for the size and battery capacities. While the S23+ houses a 4,700mAh battery, the S23 is limited to a 3,900mAh capacity. Whereas, S23 comes with a 6.1-inch FHD+ display and the S23+ sports a bigger 6.6-inch FHD+ display. Both devices come with 2340×1080 resolution with Super Smooth 120Hz resolution. The Plus and standard variant house the same camera modules that include a wide 50MP F1.8 lens coupled with an Ultra-Wide 12MP and 10MP Telephoto (3X) lens. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset rocks both devices for optimum performance. However, the devices are limited to 8GB RAM variants ranging from 128GB to 512GB storage variants. The refreshed camera module puts emphasis on night photos/videos as all three models come equipped with Night Selfie, Night Portraits, and stable Night Video capabilities.

Budget 2023: Mobile phones and televisions to get cheaper

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2023 today i.e February 1, 2023. The new budget announced major changes in various duties and taxes which results in some items getting cheaper and others being costlier. A major development in the new budget includes the government’s plans to boost the production of smartphones and TVs in India by incentivizing manufacturers. However, it’s not just the manufacturers who’ll benefit from the incentivizing as it will also translate down to the end consumers receiving cheaper tech products like mobile phones and TV. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamam revealed that the govt plans to provide relief to both smartphone and TV manufacturers by reducing customs duty on key components.

Relief for smartphone and TV manufacturers

In the budget speech, Sitharamam revealed that mobile phone production in India has seen a major increase from 2014-15. As per the minister, mobile phone production in India reached 31 crore units valued at Rs 2,75,000 crore in the last financial year. This is a significant increase from 5.8 crore units valued at Rs 18,000 crore in 2014-15. In order to accelerate smartphone production in India, govt will reduce custom duty on the import of certain parts along with camera components of the phone. The relaxation of customs duty for lithium-ion cells is also being retained for 2023-24.

Here is what Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamam said during Budget 2023 –

“As a result of various initiatives of the Government, including the Phased Manufacturing programme, mobile phone production in India has increased from 5.8 crore units valued at about ` 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to 31 crore units valued at over ` 2,75,000 crore in the last financial year. To further deepen domestic value addition in manufacture of mobile phones, I propose to provide relief in customs duty on import of certain parts and inputs like camera lens and continue the concessional duty on lithium-ion cells for batteries for another year.”

Additionally, the Finance Minister also revealed that customs duties on several parts of open cells of TV panels will also be slashed by 2.5 per cent. Whereas, basic customs duty on electric chimneys has been upped by 7.5 to 15 in order to boost domestic manufacturing of the product.

Cyber crime hit a new peak in 2022

the world is turning digital as more and more people start spending the majority of their online. Be it playing online games, social media, watching YouTube videos, or streaming films, there are a number of avenues for users now to spend their time on the internet. Not just that, platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed have even allowed people to find jobs online. While it’s all well and good when it comes to the general public using the internet, there is always a flip side to the coin where some malicious people use the internet with the intent of harming others and committing cyber crimes. It looks like the cases of cyber crimes have reached a new peak according to a new Mumbai Crime report.

Cyber crime hits new peak

As a big chunk of people become tech-savvy and use the internet for their benefit in an ethical manner, the number of cyber crimes has also hit a new peak. The registration of cyber offences, which include online frauds under the pretext of offering job opportunities, gifts, and/or payment of electricity bills or EMIs rose by a whopping 63.7%. In total, the number of reported cyber crimes rose to a total of 4,718 in 2022 when compared to 2021’s 2,883 cases, according to an official report by the Mumbai Crime branch. If compared to the pre-COVID period in 2019, the cybercrime cases in Mumbai rose by an alarming 112%.

During the COVID period, the majority of people be it students, working individuals or the general public made their way to the internet. Post the pandemic times, crimes such as part-time job fraud, crypto scams, insurance fraud, sextortion, and electricity bill fraud have risen significantly.

So what can you do at an individual level to save yourself from falling prey to cyber crimes? For starters, set a strong password! Make sure your passwords do not include your birthday, phone number, Astro sign, partner’s name, etc. Besides having a strong password, users can also opt for 2-step verification for their social media accounts. Using a VPN while surfing the internet is also advised. The most important to not entertain any calls that ask for your banking details. If you wish to report a cyber crime then you call the governing authorities at – 1930.

Apple launches second generation HomePod at ₹32,990

In what can only be called Apple’s biggest gap between upgrades, the tech giant has now launched the HomePod (2nd Generation) While the smart home speaker market has predominantly been synonymous with Amazon’s Alexa, Apple has not been out of the race in any degree. As they say, later is better than never and with the launch of the Gen 2 HomePod Apple brings in a number of features to the smart speaker experience. Read on to know about what’s new with the latest Apple HomePod –

Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) features

It is no doubt that the second-gen HomePod is marginally better than its previous version. While it features a similar 4-inch high excursion woofer as before, the new five horn-loaded tweeters have now replaced the original seven tweeters. Whereas, four latest far-field mics have replaced the six microphones of the original HomePod. A new internal low-frequency calibration mic has been added for automatic bass correction. It is powered by the Apple S7 SoC to process computational audio and real-time tuning of sound.

A singular HomePod in itself is a capable product but Apple has also introduced stereo pairing where if two of the HomePods are placed together then you will be asked if you want to pair them. However, it should be noted that a first-gen and second-gen HomePod cannot be paired together for a surround sound experience. The latest HomePod also comes with temperature and humidity sensors. The HomePod comes equipped with real-time information reporting of your surroundings and trigger functions such as turning the AC on or closing the blinds.

Price and Availablity

Apple HomePod (2nd Generation) is priced at ₹32,990 in the Indian market. It is compatible with iPhone SE (2nd Gen) and above or the iPhone 8 and above. The device is up for pre-orders right on the Apple Store and will go on sale in the country on February 3, 2023.

Apple unveiled the 2023 MacBook Pro and Mac Mini models with M2 in a surprise launch

Some brands declare the dates and launch their products while some straight away launch the product; that’s the power of confidence, and Apple has honed it over the years. Yesterday, Apple unveiled the 2023 MacBook Pro 14-inch, MacBook Pro 16-inch and Mac mini with the new Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max processors.

MacBook Pro 14″ and 16″ with M2 Pro and M2 Max

The 2023 MacBooks are supercharged by M2 Pro and M2 Max chips and offer up to 20% faster CPU performance and 30% faster GPU performance than the previous generation M1 variants. The lightning-fast M2 Pro and the incredible M2 Max are the most powerful and efficient chips in MacBooks.

The 2023 version of 14″ and 16″ MacBooks sports a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, have all the ports you need, delivers exceptional performance and now has even longer battery life. Regarding video editing, the 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Max is 15.7x faster, while the M2 Pro is 9.6x faster when compared to the Intel‑based MacBook Pro.

Apple is offering M2 Pro and M2 Max in two options – M2 Pro with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU or 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, while the M2 Max can be configured in either a 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU or 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU options. The 16-inch model of the MacBook Pro has the longest battery life ever in a Mac.

Price:

14-inch

16-inch

Mac Mini

Wanna buy something extraordinary, then the new Mac Mini should be on your cart as it is cheaper than the latest iPhone 14 series and packs the speed you need to get more done faster. When compared to the previous-generation M1 Mac mini, the new Mac mini with M2 Pro delivers up to 4.2x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro and 2.8x faster gameplay.

The new Mac Mini starts at the price of ₹59900 and will be available for sale from January 24th. The base models of the Mac Mini will have the M2 processor with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, while the premium model will arrive with the M2 Pro with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU as standard but can be configured with the 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU variant.

Price:

Samsung introduced the 200-Megapixel image sensor in flagship smartphones

The Samsung Unpacked 2023 event is only two weeks away, and today, the company officially announced the 200MP camera that will debut in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The latest 200-megapixel (MP) image sensor, the ISOCELL HP2, the successor to the 200MP HP1, will arrive with improved pixel technology and full-well capacity for stunning mobile images in tomorrow’s premium smartphones.

The ISOCELL HP2 packs 200 million 0.6-micrometer (μm) pixels in a 1/1.3” optical format, a sensor size that is widely used in 108MP main smartphone cameras, which enables consumers to enjoy even higher resolutions in the latest high-end smartphones without larger camera bumps in their devices. Washed-out pictures from brightly lit environments can be significantly reduced with the HP2, thanks to Samsung’s new Dual Vertical Transfer Gate (D-VTG) technology. A voltage transfer gate is placed on the bottom of a photodiode within each pixel to transport electrons from the pixels to the logic layer.

“The Samsung ISOCELL HP2 harnesses Samsung’s high-resolution image sensor technologies and know-how at the cutting edge for epic details. Our leadership comes from innovative pixel technologies that allow our sensors to go beyond the number and size of pixels. We will continue to open new horizons and solidify our presence in the expanding ultra-high-resolution sensor market,” said JoonSeo Yim, executive vice president of the Sensor Business at Samsung Electronics.

With Samsung’s advanced pixel-binning technology, Tetra 2 pixel, the HP2 adds more versatility to the camera as it simulates different pixel sizes to accommodate varying lighting levels. When in low-lit environments, the sensor transforms either into a 1.2μm 50MP or 2.4μm 12.5MP image sensor by binding four to 16 neighbouring pixels. For fuller 8K video, approximately at 33MP, the HP2 switches to 1.2μm 50MP mode to minimise cropping and capture more of the scene.

In low-lit settings, the HP2’s auto-focusing is taken to the next level with Super QPD, which allows the sensor to use all its 200-million pixels for focusing agents. The ample amount of focusing agents are grouped by four adjacent pixels to recognize both horizontal and vertical pattern changes that deliver faster and more accurate auto-focusing. Utilising the rich pattern data along with the sheer number of reference points, the new sensor is capable of fast auto-focusing, even in a dimly lit environment.