For years, Huawei has leaned on Sony for the sensors inside its flagship cameras. US sanctions complicated that relationship, pushing the company to find alternatives. Now, according to a new leak, Huawei reportedly has its own 1-inch camera sensor ready.
Tipster DigitalChatStation posted on Weibo this week claiming Huawei has completed its first “full-stack self-developed” 1-inch CMOS sensor. According to the leak, it’s a 50MP unit using Huawei’s RYYB color filter array. That’s an alternative to the standard RGB setup found in most phone cameras, and it lets the sensor pull in more light, helping with low-light shots and dynamic range.
The sensor also includes DCG, or Dual Conversion Gain technology. It captures a single exposure using two simultaneous gain levels, reducing shadow noise and motion artifacts. No phone has been confirmed yet. Speculation in Chinese tech communities points toward the Pura 90 series.
A Whole New Sensor Lineup
The leak doesn’t stop at the Huawei 1-inch camera sensor. DigitalChatStation also describes a full range of self-developed CMOS sensors: four sizes in total, all at 50MP. That suggests Huawei isn’t just building a flagship main camera. It’s building out an entire imaging stack from scratch.
This isn’t the first time a self-developed Huawei sensor has surfaced in leaks. A similar sensor was rumored for the Pura 80 but was linked to SmartSens, a Shanghai-based sensor company. Huawei hasn’t confirmed any of this. The Pura 80 Ultra sits at number one on DxOMark, and whatever comes next has a lot to live up to.