We also learned that Motorola and Xiaomi are working on devices with the first generation of Samsung’s 200MP sensor, the ISOCELL HP1.

Well now, it seems that Samsung has already started developing a whole new sensor system that would double the resolution of the best smartphone camera sensor they make.

Samsung trademarked the term “Hexa²pixel”, which is described in the filing as “image sensors for photographic devices”.

A new leak by a reputable tipster, IceUniverse suggests that the new sensor will have a resolution of about 400-450MP. The new Hexa²pixel uses the 36-in-1 pixel binning system, which basically means that a group of 36 pixels in a grid of 6x6 pixels get merged into one bigger pixel) which is well above the current arrangements of Tetracell (2x2) and Nonapixel (3x3). 

If the target is 12MP output, like the Tetracell and Nonacell binning systems, the overall resolution that can be calculated comes out to be 432MP, which, in all likelihood will be rounded up to 450MP.

In any case, it will more than double the resolution of the 200MP sensors from Samsung, the ISOCELL HP1, which is a 1/1.22-inch sensor with a pixel size of 0.64µm pixels, as well as the ISOCELL HP3 which is a 1/1.4-inch sensor, with each pixel measuring in at  0.56µm.

Both the current ISOCELL HP sensors have Tetra²pixel systems, which allows them to go for both 4x4 and 2x2 pixel binning for 12MP and 50MP image output, respectively. Given the “²” in the name of the new sensor, it will probably have two output modes as well.

If so, it will be able to output 12MP and 48MP resolution images, respectively. Binning will be necessary since even if the sensor is huge, fitting that many pixels will make them pretty tiny and the images very grainy, if left unprocessed.

A few years ago a rumour had come up that suggested Samsung is planning to develop sensors with resolutions as high as 600MP, with an insane 1/0.57-inch optical sensor. The Hexa²pixel sensor may represent just the halfway point of what is coming in the next few years.