DIS reveals 9-megapixel camera module for mobile phones

We've seen 10-megapixel cameraphones. We've seen 8-megapixel cameraphones. But if you've been holding out for that oh-so-elusive 9-megapixel cameraphone, the wait is just about over. Digital Imaging Systems (DIS) has chosen Photokina 2008 to reveal its 9-megapixel (CMOS) DIS6931 camera module for mobile phones, which provides features such as auto-focus, a mechanical shutter and ND-filter with integrated actuators. Best of all, samples of the unit are shipping out right now, while volume production is on track for Q4 2008. Hey, handset makers -- can we get some attention on this, please?

[Via UnwiredView]

[stiltskin @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:20AM]

Can we skip the going up a megapixel a year and just jumped to 9 and please don't raise the price of the phones tremendously.

[Chad @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:12PM]

Give me a 32gb iPhone please... then I can actually store ALL my mp3s and a few photos from this chip.

[z0iid @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:48PM]

@ chad -

32gb holds ALL your music with room to spare?

110gb of music.... and I don't feel like I have a very large collection. I suffer from small collection syndrome. You must suffer from micro-music-collection-syndrome.

so sad.

:p

[Passarinhuu @ Sep 22nd 2008 2:38PM]

z0iid, is you music collection 100% legal?
If so, you must spend all day ripping CDs, cause 110GB of music from iTunes would be pretty expensive :)
1 music file ~ 4MB -> 110GB ~ 28160 songs
If you bought all those songs you would have spent approx. $27.878...

Am I normal for doing the math for you?

[cy21 @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:50AM]

cute camera

[phanbouy @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:58PM]

hey pal, leave that camera alone

[avester @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:49AM]

Why? Cameraphone photos are rarely watched outside the 320x240 world, and when you do, all you see is noise and disortion by the piss-poor plastic optics.

I'd rather have an 1mpix camera with good optics than 9mpix of disortion.

[Passarinhuu @ Sep 22nd 2008 2:29PM]

Completely agree. I would be satisfied with 3MP if the photos wouldn't suck when viewed in a computer screen.

[y3k.nik @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

Now this module can go in yet another $1000 phone...

Why should I not get a 500$ Touch Diamond and then 300$ for a Sony H Series, with 15x zoom and 8 mp camera?

No camera phone with this module will be decent size to be carried in pockets anyways...

[webon @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

yeah... this 'ill be great for all who want to take pro photography with their phone

[Nick J @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:05PM]

I refuse to jump on this whole "camera phone" nonsense till I get at least 27megapixels, damnit.

/end sarcasm

Seriously...its a phone. I don't need to take studio quality pics with it.

[Chad @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:15PM]

Agreed, but decent photos would be nice. 4 mpix would be lots with nice optics and a built in lens cap/slide cover so the lens doesn't fill with pocket lint... *dreaming*

[Nick J @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:33PM]

Yeah. Even 3MP would be fine, with some bitchin' optics and quick startup/focus--so I can get a good pic of the guy who just stole my car, or the giant monster stomping around downtown LA. Anything more than that is overkill, anything less isn't really worth it. I would carry a real camera if I want to take some serious pictures.

[Hung @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:06PM]

Is it possible to get a 3.2 MP (even 2 MP is desirable) cell phone camera that doesn't lag and properly focuses? If I have to wait more than 10 seconds to start it and 5 more seconds after I snap the shot, then it's not worth having a camera.

[GregH @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:13PM]

There needs to a LOT more focus on getting decent optics on camera phones, rather than higher megapixel sensors that will still give you a washed out image with heavily distorted edges.

I've got a Sony K790 with a 3.2mp camera, and it takes fairly decent photos - good enough for casual events so that I don't need to carry another camera in my pocket. I would rather see a better lense on my camera than a 9 or 10mp sensor though - it would make a much bigger difference in picture quality, I think.

[Patriks7 @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:24PM]

Well the problem is that your average person thinks that the higher the megapixel count is, the better the camera is
I had the same view on cameras until I got a lesson from a friend who is a pro photographer...

[Sonny @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:15PM]

I have K850i which has 5MP. I am in no shape or form a pro-photog but this has really good capture time and works very well in all kinds of light due to all the capture options. I just blew up a panoramic picture of the upper west side skyline taken from central park, about 20"x6" and it came out pretty good. Of course a real camera would take something better, but I'm content with the phones ability. I don't expect any of my pictures to make it to a gallery so I'm fine with what I can accomplish with the k850i.

[GregH @ Sep 22nd 2008 2:32PM]

@ Sonny - I almost upgraded to the K850i, but I held back because it doesn't have a lens cover. I know I would scratch it up in no time. Also, the rectangular navigator key is pretty annoying. Good to hear that the picture quality is good though!

[HunterXI @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:37PM]

I agree with many of the people above me: the focus with cameraphones should be having decent picture quality (and display quality, too), not having 9 useless megapixels.

[neofolklore @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:47PM]

good thing this article actually talks about how it can actually focus on things and such, i'd almost think they were trying to raise the megapixels without improving other aspects of the camera technology

[Ralph @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:54PM]

No cell phone camera, no matter how many pixels, comes even close to the quality of a dedicated simple point and shoot digicam.

[Sarig @ Sep 22nd 2008 2:46PM]

My Nokia n95 walks all over my Olympus mini µ. Of course the latter is a few years older though, and has a real optical zoom.

But over to Serious Business. The n95 has 5mpx, and a great autofocus. But those five megapixles always get compressed to ~1MB files. Actually zooming them up to 100% never looks particularly good.

Still good enough quality to print normal photos though. I've yet had the desperate need for a cameraphone that would allow me to make meter large high detail printouts.

[j.d.ripper @ Sep 22nd 2008 3:05PM]

My gf has a SE K850i, it does as well as a simple point and shoot.

I for one will be happy to see the end of the megapixel race and the start of the quality race, or what about low noise on high ISO race ?

[Plothole @ Sep 22nd 2008 6:15PM]

@j.d.ripper

Some camera companies have tried to sell quality. Most notable is Fuji and their legendary F30 (*just about the best lowlight compact ever made*). Unfortunately quality cannot be put into simple numbers, which is what most camera shoppers want to see. Eventually Fuji was forced to abide by the status quo.

[CraigJ @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:12PM]

Because 9 MP of noise and distortion > 2 MP of noise and distortion

More is better!

[wiseman @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:50PM]

Reading some of the comments here, it's amazing how many people in the world buy into the idea that more megapixels equates to professional studio photos. If there's really that many ignorant consumers out there, maybe I should start a cameraphone business and start making money off of these retards.

[JSWinston @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:55PM]

One person said that camera phones use a plastic lens, not always true. Motorola cell phones use a glass lens.

The autofocus thing is common as well, you really need AF for anything 3MP and above. I do with that more cell phones with 2MP cameras would use an EDOF solution instead of Fixed Focus. The images just look a lot better.

That said, the issue with camera phones is usually caused by shake, you can't hold it still enough. So in low light the picture is blurry (not an issue in bright light with a fast exposure time). Some improvements are coming with image stabilization though that should help.

I would rather see what the pixel size on the camera module is though, the 9MP is pointless.

[Pdexter @ Sep 22nd 2008 3:14PM]

Totally agree with the fact that more megapixels don't make better camera, but in a same time many of the sold in Europe/Asia camera phones make it hard to come back to some WM 3mp or Razr camera.
Plus camera starting on Nokia's and Samsung is pretty much instant now days and focus works really well actually. N95 had camera that in a first time really was easily enough for point and shoot. While INNOV8 is already pretty much in the point when you don't need to take your cheap digi camera with you for a trip. Good 5mp camera modules are also so compact now days on the major phone manufacturer devices that the size isn't a problem.
Thought hopefully Nokia, SE and Nokia(and Moto) stop to 8mp for some time so we can get all out of it and not keeping the race on megapixel count.

[montevale @ Sep 22nd 2008 3:19PM]

This would rock for the field work (assuming it takes decent photos).
Hey RIM how about getting this thing into the next Bold or into the Storm or whatever else you have there up your sleeve.
With the 3g and gigs of bandwidths this can be easily used to take shots, comment them and email as attachments.
So far such thing still does not exist. It is either a good camera, but no keyboard, or good keyboard bad camera, or good keyboard and decent camera and a flawed phone etc. (I'm talking about all phones out there not just RIMs)
Property managers, building inspectors and insurance agents (just to name one group) would snap such device if you let them know it exists and market it to this crowd)
I happens to be working with those groups daily and have to take shots with my regular cam transfer them to my laptop, comment then email.
Everybody is all of a sudden missing the instant Polaroid days where a picture was taken on the spot commented and done with.
This is not to say that I want the Polaroid back, I'm saying it was a simple procedure that was overtaken by a multistep that now has to be carried out in the field and at the office and requires multiple devices in order to have it done.

[Imran @ Sep 22nd 2008 3:32PM]

Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his pixels?

It's over 9 milliioooonnn!

[cromas @ Sep 22nd 2008 6:46PM]

I can't believe 9mp phone sensors are coming out and iPhone is still stuck with the same crappy 2mp sensor that phones from 2005 had. The lack of (improvement) in the camera/features is one of the few disappointments I have with it.

[Plothole @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:24PM]

Believe me, this isn't as great as it sounds. At best the extra MP are going to be canceled out by the extra noise they will inevitably generate on such a tiny sensor. And It's even possible that the quality will even be worse than that 2MP sensor!

[cromas @ Sep 26th 2008 4:22AM]

Be that as it may, my generations-old Nokia N71 takes way better pictures (and mp4 video!) than my iPhone 3G ever will. Sigh.

[Jon @ Sep 22nd 2008 8:01PM]

Just imagine the noise in a sensor that small that many pixels... my god. I think I'll pass.