By: iPadfanzz Editor on April 8, 2013
HTC recently launches its One One phone under the “HTC UltraPixel Camera” umbrella. The concept seems interesting especially when all other smartphone cameras are measured in megapixels, the Sony Xperia Z boasts a 13-megapixel snapper for example, and the BlackBerry Z10 houses an 8-megapixel camera. So exactly what is an UltraPixel camera? Is it better than a regular smartphone snapper? Here is the explanation:
HTC says the One only has a 4-megapixel camera, and that may lead to believe that it’s inferior to the standard 8-megapixel cameras you’ll find on many other smartphones. However, you may be wrong. According to the company, in the case of cameras, it's not the pixel count of the sensor that matters, but the size of the pixels. What HTC really wants you to know is that its megapixels are bigger than the megapixels on competing cameras. That’s why the name ULTRA behind it. The Ultrapixel 4-megapixel sensor measures one-third of an inch, which is the same size as the sensors found in phones such as the 8-megapixel iPhone 5 or Nokia Lumia 920.
Pixels are dots in the sensor, which ‘collect’ light, so a 4-megapixel camera will have 4 million pixels. But since the One has Ultrapixels (three times larger than ‘regular’ megapixels), it will produce great clarity pictures in low lights due to collection of extra light.
According to HTC, sometimes packig more megapixels into a sensor can lead to image noise (interference and pollution within an image) because of lack of light. On the other hand, it says, having fewer pixels but making them larger means each UltraPixel can work harder to gather more light, resulting in more detail and accurate colour representation in pictures.
HTC says the UltraPixel camera will work very well in those dimly lit nightclubs and restaurants, meaning you can take excellent quality photos that capture the detail and colour saturation of subjects very accurately. This is also good when you’re taking a video of your children blowing out the candles on a birthday cake in a darkened room, as the photos produced will be much clearer than a regular smartphone camera.
With the UltraPixel Sensor collecting UltraPixel-sized pixels, you’ll be getting the ability to capture “300% more light than many of the 13 megapixel cameras on the market.” The UltraPixel Sensor is a CMOS BSI and is classified as having a 1/3′ sensor size. The photos taken by One will be 2688 x 1520 pixels in size at a 16:9 aspect ratio.
A side-by-side comparison of top camera phones reveal that only the iPhone 5 can stay at par in low light performance.
HTC One comes with aperture size of f/2.0, which compares with the Samsung Galaxy S4's f/2.2, the iPhone 5's f/2.4, and the Samsung Galaxy S III's f/2.6. HTC claims the aperture gets 44 percent more light than the iPhone 5 and 69 percent more light than the Samsung Galaxy S III. The camera also includes optical image stabilization—unique for an Android phone. For video, you can record footage in 720p HD at 60 frames per second (fps) and in 1080p at 30fps.
The HTC One’s UltraPixel camera technology certainly debunks the “megapixel” myth. Experts also say that larger megapixel count doesn’t always mean good for photographers as there’s no way to capture details and variations. “Low pixel count does make for faster image processing and a higher maximum shooting rate. Low light images taken with the One should be better thanks to reduced image noise, though those shots will be smaller - just 4MP.”
