Report: Galaxy S8s use either a Sony IMX 333 or a ISOCELL S5K2L2 camera sensor

Just as with the previous two Galaxy S generations, Samsung is sourcing the camera modules for the recently announced Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus from two manufacturers. Some of the company’s flagship devices come equipped with the S5K2L2 ISOCELL sensors, which are produced by Samsung’s System LSI division, while others use the new IMX333 camera sensors from Sony.

The sensors are identical in terms of features, as they both offer a 12.2 MP resolution, 4K video recording, Dual Pixel phase-detection autofocus, optical image stabilization (OIS), and f/1.7 aperture. The images and videos they produce should, therefore, be close to identical.

The story is the same when it comes to the front-facing camera. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus use two different sensors, one from System LSI (S5K3H1) and the other made by Sony (IMX320). Both of them have an 8 MP resolution, sport an autofocus mechanism, and can record in QHD. Again, although the sensors are made by two different companies, the image and video quality should be the same no matter which one is used.

It does make sense that Samsung uses two different suppliers for the camera sensors. By doing so, it can minimize the risk of experiencing production delays, which could have a negative impact on the company’s sales numbers.