It's been revealed that Vivo's next flagship camera phone, the X300 Pro, will use Sony's brand new LYT-828 image sensor. Positioned as a successor to the current LYT-818 (a sensor first used by the preceding Vivo X200 Pro), the new design is a 1/1.28-inch stacked CMOS sensor with a 50 megapixel resolution. Nothing particularly noteworthy there, but the LYT-828 has a different trick up its sleeve.
It utilizes a new Hybrid Frame-HDR (HF-HDR) technology: this takes traditional single-frame HDR using Dual Conversion Gain and combines it with multi-frame HDR during post processing. It's said that this fusion of HDR technologies enables overall dynamic range in excess of 100 dB (around 17 stops).
If true, this means the LYT-828 would become Sony's best-performing mobile image sensor for dynamic range to date. The sensor's low-power logic circuitry enables the HDR system to remain active in all shooting modes, including zooming, recording, and previewing, so the dynamic range you see in the preview is what you'll get in the final shot. The new sensor will apparently be fronted by an f/1.57 lens with a CIPA-rated 5.5 stops of optical stabilization and Zeiss T* coating.
We shouldn't have long to wait to see the X300 Pro itself, as its official launch is slated for October 13th.
