CMOS sensor shortfall behind Galaxy Note II not having 13MP camera

Prior to the unveiling of the Galaxy Note II, the Internet was abuzz with rumours suggesting that Samsung will utilise a 13MP camera in its latest offering. However, when the brand unveiled this handset, it came loaded with an 8MP sensor instead. A report by Unwired View has information received via a Korean website Ddaily reveals the reason behind Samsung’s decision to employ an 8MP sensor in the phablet.

As per the author of the report, Florin, “Samsung was seriously planning to put a 13MP rear camera on the Note II. But it just couldn’t get enough CMOS sensors from Sony for that. Interestingly, Sony is supplying 13MP CMOS sensors for LG’s new Optimus G, and it looks like there won’t be any shortages here. Apparently, LG (through its subsidiary LG Innotek) has secured enough sensors from Sony since early 2012.”

Would have come equipped with a 13MP camera

If this is a disheartening point for adopters of the Samsung Galaxy Note II, then they need not worry too much as this handset uses the same sensor found on the Galaxy S III. This handset has a good camera, and when we reviewed the handset we found that indoors and in low light shots, the single LED flash does a decent job at capturing the subject, as long as it’s not too far away from the camera. Outdoor shots were overall good too and there were no major qualms to write about.

In the Galaxy Note II, Samsung has thrown in a new feature that can potentially change the way mobile phones are used. Apart from the facts that it features the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS out of the box, and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, the major talking point about the Galaxy Note II is that it features an all-new Air View feature. Samsung states that Air View allows users to hover with the S Pen over an email, S Planner, image gallery, or video to preview the content without having to open it. This feature enables users to quickly search and see more information in one view without screen transitions.
 
Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the Samsung Galaxy Note II:

• 5.5-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 1280 x 720 pixel density
• 4G LTE, EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Wi-Fi HT40, NFC
• GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS support
• Bluetooth v4.0 with USB 2.0 Host
• 8 megapixel AF/ Touchfocus camera with full HD video recording and playback, 1.9MP VT Camera, BSI front facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, all with expandable support up to 64GB
• 2GB RAM
• MHL for AV out