World’s first smartphone with 64MP camera is coming, and it’s likely going to be from Samsung

Samsung recently announced the world’s first 64MP smartphone camera sensor – the Samsung GW1 sensor. Samsung’s 64MP GW1 sensor works on the same principle as its 48MP GM1 and 32MP GD1 sensors – effectively producing sharper, more detailed 16MP photos in low light, and using software interpolation to produce high resolution 64MP photos as and when required. Samsung has confirmed that smartphones equipped with its 64MP GW1 sensor will start shipping sometime in the second half of this year. A new report now suggests that Samsung may kick off proceedings, launching the first 64MP camera smartphone in Q2 2019. 

Samsung is said to be working on an updated version of its recently launched Galaxy A70, calling it simply the Galaxy A70S. The Galaxy A70S is said to be the first smartphone in the world to come with a 64MP main camera. The Galaxy A70, to recall, uses Samsung’s 32MP GD1 sensor on the front, while on the back it has three cameras - 32MP sensor (which is again, the same GD1 sensor), an 8MP ultra-wide sensor (with 120-degree field-of-view) and a 5MP sensor for depth sensing aka portrait photography. 

The Galaxy A70S, with a 64MP main camera, should ideally kick things up a notch. Sadly, that’s all the information we have about the Galaxy A70S for now although chances are Samsung may retain many aspects of the original Galaxy A70 here – further improving on the cameras to possibly compete with the OnePlus 7 that ships with a 48MP main camera. 

The Galaxy A70 sells in India at a price of Rs 28,990. It comes with a 6.7-inch 1080p+ Super AMOLED display - its 20:9 aspect ratio is a first for any Samsung phone. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage which is also expandable. The dual SIM phone runs Android 9 Pie-based One UI. The phone further packs a sizeable 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging through USB Type-C. The Galaxy A70 is also the first Galaxy A phone to fully support Samsung Pay. 

Samsung has come up with a new strategy with regards to its 2019 Galaxy A phones. While Galaxy A phones in the past were mere ‘Lite’ variants of the more premium Galaxy S phones, new-age Galaxy A phones are different. With them, Samsung is trying to experiment with new and unique features never seen before in any other Samsung phone. Based on the feedback, it is then incorporating these features into its more expensive models. Which is why a Galaxy A70S with a 64MP camera won’t be very surprising.     

The report also suggests that Samsung may not use its 64MP sensor in the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 – which is also due to arrive in the second half of this year.  

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