Sunday, May 5, 2013

Ultra-Pixel Technology

HTC new flagship device HTC One is a magnificent smartphone. Jam-packed features and premium feel-a perfect combination. But there's something on the specification list that makes it stand out of the crowd-a 4 Ultra-pixel rear camera. Now, that term might sound a bit unfamiliar to you but many experts believe that ultra-pixel might be the future of smartphone camera technology.
So what exactly is ultra-pixel technology?



Simply put, the technology's principle lies in increasing the size of the pixels of the camera. This large-sized pixel are more efficient it is at absorbing light-300% more efficient according to HTC. So, what impact does it have on the image quality? Better images in low light basically!

This will give you a proper idea of the difference between ultra-pixel and mega-pixel technology-

Consider the Lumia 920 and HTC One. The former with 8.7 mega-pixel rear camera and the later as you know with 4 ultra-pixels.
Both the HTC One and Lumia 920 have a 1/3-inch sensor, but the 920 has 8.7-megapixels compared to the HTC One's 4MP. That's why the HTC One has larger 2-micrometers pixels whereas the 920 only has 1.4-micrometer pixels.

As you can see, HTC One clearly holds the upper-hand with larger-sized pixels.
This might not seem worthy of making significant difference in camera performance but it actually does-especially in low-light conditions, cloudy or poorly lit surroundings.

But, hold on. Not everything is in favor of ultra-pixels. Numbers still matter-at least a bit. Nokia Lumia 920 8.7 megapixels camera outputs image at stunning resolution of 
3264 x 2448 pixels. What this means is, you can easily edit, enlarge or print your snaps in large sizes without issues. On the other hand, HTC One 4 ultra-pixels camera outputs images at 2688 x 1520 pixels, which no need to say is significantly less than what Lumia 920 or any other 8MP shooter is capable of pulling off. So, forget about getting large-sized portraits of your snaps or be ready to horrible results (Trust me, you won't like that!)

HTC is of the view that smartphone users nowadays just post images taken by their phones on Social Networking sites and keep them on their PCs, printing portraits is long-gone trend. well, I'll let you decide (Comment below and let me know too, sounds a hot topic for a debate).


Ok, lets sum it up. Ultra-pixel is a good technology. It gives better images than mega-pixels in normal scenario. But, since in HTC One's case its just 4 ultra-pixels we are talking about, the image output lags behind significantly, so no chances of getting good print-outs.

what are your views about the technology? Are you in favor of it or against it? How do you think the technology is for a general smartphone user?
Let us know your views.

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