Google Pixel 6 tipped to feature 50MP Samsung camera sensor

Google Pixel 6 Pro Colors Side By Side (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

The Google Pixel 6 is tipped to have a Samsung camera sensor.
Code found in the latest Android 12 beta points to a 50MP GN1 sensor.
The Pixel 6 Tensor chip is said to be built by Samsung based on its 5nm process.

Hot on the heels of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 launch, more details of the Google Pixel 6 emerge, suggesting a Samsung-made camera sensor underneath the redesigned camera hump.

Well-known Google Camera modder cstark27 (via XDA-Developers) spotted a string of code in the latest Android 12 beta 4 update for Google Camera that reads

gn1_wide_p21

, hinting at the presence of Samsung's GN1 sensor in Google's upcoming flagship.

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Do you see it? 📷👀 pic.twitter.com/o7fLbw19VbDo you see it? 📷👀 pic.twitter.com/o7fLbw19Vb— cstark27 (@Cstark_27) August 11, 2021 August 11, 2021

When Google teased the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, it did not provide many details for the cameras, only saying that there would be two sensors on the standard model and three on the Pro model. It did say that the Pixel 6 would be capable of capturing 150% more light, and rumors have indicated that both models will likely have at least a main 50MP wide sensor.

The Samsung ISOCELL GN1 was announced last year as a 50MP camera sensor capable of pixel-binning for 12.5MP shots and a combined pixel size of 2.4μm. If this is indeed what's going into the Pixel 6, it could mark a substantial improvement over the tried and tired 12.2MP Sony sensor found on just about every Pixel's main camera.

Additionally, it means that the Pixel 6 could come with a lot more Samsung, as the device's Google Tensor chip is said to be built by Samsung based on the company's 5nm process. The modem is also tipped to be from Samsung, and while there's no word on the OLED display, it wouldn't be too surprising if that was Samsung-made as well.

The Pixel 6 smartphones are expected to launch later this fall, competing against some of the best Android phones, including Samsung's recently launched smartphones. While we already know some details about the phones, but we'll likely have to wait until closer to launch to get any more official information from Google.

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Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.