Next-gen flagships could switch to triple 100MP cameras, 100MP selfie cameras

OPPO and vivo’s upcoming Ultra phones are tipped to offer 200MP main and telephoto cameras, but a leaker has now claimed that some next-generation Android phones could take things in a different direction altogether.

Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station has claimed that some manufacturers are testing next-generation Ultra phones with three 100MP sensors. We’re guessing these apply to the main, telephoto, and ultrawide cameras.

This would be an interesting move for smartphones. We’ve previously seen Ultra phones with 200MP main or telephoto cameras, while the vivo X300 Ultra and OPPO Find X9 Ultra are rumored to offer 200MP main and 200MP telephoto cameras. So a triple 100MP rear camera setup would be a step back in terms of primary and telephoto resolution, but a step forward for ultrawide camera resolution. After all, ultrawide cameras typically top out at 50MP.

The leaker didn’t provide more details regarding these 100MP sensors. It goes without saying that this sensor would offer less resolvable detail than a 200MP camera due to the lower resolution. However, a 100MP sensor with larger individual pixels could offer better light intake compared to many 200MP cameras. And increased light intake equals brighter, cleaner photos with less blur.

Otherwise, Digital Chat Station also claims an unnamed manufacturer is working on a 100MP selfie camera. This would be a huge resolution upgrade for front-facing cameras. However, the leaker’s claim that this is a “small-pixel sensor” suggests that low-light image quality could suffer compared to contemporary selfie cameras. Nevertheless, a 100MP selfie camera could use cropping to offer a variety of aspect ratios, decent digital zoom, and more stable video.