Three years later, 200MP cameras finally live up to the hype

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Samsung was one of the first manufacturers to offer a 200MP camera when it launched the Galaxy S23 Ultra back in 2023. We’ve since seen many other brands adopt this tech for use on both primary and telephoto cameras.

We haven’t seen a major change in the sensor size of 200MP cameras, though. Until now, that is. The vivo X300 Ultra has just been released, and it offers a significantly larger 200MP main camera. But how does this fare in practice compared to the first-generation 200MP main camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra? I put these two phones to the test in a 200MP camera shootout.

Have 200MP main cameras lived up to the hype? 48 votes Yes, they have 31 % They initially didn't, but now they do 31 % No, they haven't 38 %

What to know about Samsung and vivo’s 200MP main cameras

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main camera features a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor, which was cutting-edge at the time. This is a large, 1/1.3-inch sensor with tiny 0.6-micron pixels. But it also featured tricks like 16-in-one pixel binning (equivalent to a 12.5MP, 2.4-micron pixel camera) or conventional four-in-one binning (equivalent to a 50MP, 1.2-micron pixel camera). Other notable tricks include Super Quad Phase Detection autofocus, as well as dual-slope gain and Smart ISO Pro for improved dynamic range.

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Meanwhile, the vivo X300 Ultra’s main camera uses the Sony LYT-901 camera sensor. This is Sony’s first 200MP camera sensor, and the 1/1.12-inch sensor size makes it notably larger than Samsung’s 200MP cameras. The Sony sensor also offers 0.7-micron pixels, which are still small by the standards of other camera sensors, but larger than those in previous 200MP sensors. Bigger pixels mean greater light capture, which should lead to brighter, cleaner photos with less blur. Sony adds that the sensor offers all-pixel autofocus, DCG-HDR tech for improved single-frame HDR, and Hybrid-Frame HDR.

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