Nexus 5X and 6P and an interesting sensor

[sanveer]

The new Nexus 5X and 6P have just been announced, and will be hitting the markets around October sometime. They obviously have been upgraded in big ways, and what is most impressive, is something that seems completely unannounced (specifically), in the Press Release (the videos and the documents provided). 

Both these mobiles phones, sport a New Sony Sensor, namely the Sony IMX 377 CQT sensor. What is Very interesting, about the sensor, is this:

It does full pixel readout, of its 12.35 MP Sensor, at 12 bit, 35 fps !!! It also does 4k at 10 bit (decent), upto 60p. 

That's some insane quality, for a sensor on a mobile phone. Unfortunately I am not sure the processor or the codec on that, would be geared to handle something with that bandwidth of data, whether during recording, or otherwise. If someone could hack it, to be able to get 12 bit RAW, from its sensor, at 30 fps, it would be insane. Like an App, on the lines of the 4k Cinema App (that does a reasonably Flat and 200 Mbps video). Since it can do 2k at 120fps and 4k at 60p, I am guessing that Motorola would push for those frame rates by updates, maybe sometime later. 

 

This is the Sony literature on the sensor:

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/IS/sensor2/img/products/IMX377CQT_ProductSummary_v1.5_20150414.pdf