Smartphones with 50-megapixel main cameras are expected to go mainstream in 2022 as production costs for sensors decrease, according to Counterpoint Research.
The share of smartphones with a 50MP image sensor is expected to surge 9.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2022, from 5.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021 and a 2.3 per cent in the third quarter, a survey by the consultancy has shown.
Manufacturers such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and China's SmartSens are ramping up production of the component, and this is expected to create stronger competition that will lead to lower prices, the Hong Kong-based research company said.
This will allow the higher-resolution cameras to be made available in cheaper devices.
"Additionally, there is an emerging trend of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) strengthening the ultra-wide camera performance by increasing the resolution to 50MP to deliver superior landscape shooting," Alicia Gong, a research associate at Counterpoint Research, said in the report.
Higher pixel counts had been associated with premium smartphones in the past. However, lower production costs prices for these sensors have allowed OEMs to offer them in cameras used in mid-range and even entry-level devices.
Smartphones with 50MP sensors have been shown to produce better-quality photos, said technology benchmarking site DxOMark.
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Currently, seven out of the 11 devices on DxOMark's list of the top smartphones for cameras have a 50MP sensor: the Honor Magic 4 Ultimate, Huawei P50 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Pro+, Google Pixel 6 Pro and Vivo X70 Pro.
The main sensors of the Asus Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders and the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra are 64MP and 48MP, respectively, while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have the lowest sensor values at 12MP, the list shows.
Meanwhile, Samsung has been using a 108MP sensor in its Galaxy S20 device since 2020. In September 2020, it announced the development of the Isocell HP1, which offers a 200MP resolution.
The Isocell HP1 is expected to make its debut in the Motorola Frontier this year, and is on track to be used by Xiaomi in the second half of 2022 and by Samsung in its Galaxy S23 series next year.
Huawei Technologies was the first manufacturer to introduce a smartphone with a 50MP image sensor with its P40 series in 2020, using Sony's IMX700 lens.
Samsung soon released its own 50MP sensor, followed by its S5KJN1 lens model that entered mass production in 2021.
There is an emerging trend of original equipment manufacturers strengthening the ultra-wide camera performance by increasing the resolution to 50MP to deliver superior landscape shooting
Alicia Gong,
research associate at Counterpoint Research
This led to a double-digit drop in prices of 50MP sensors last year.
As a result, more mid-range devices began adopting the sensors, pushing up the share of 50MP lens in the $400-$599 price segment to 11.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021, from 4.2 per cent in the second quarter, Counterpoint said.
Samsung's launch of its small-pixel 50MP S5KJN1 sensor in June 2021 caused a further drop in prices.
"This convinced OEMs such as Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi to actively deploy the S5KJN1 in their low to mid-end models. As a result, the proportion of smartphones with a 50MP rear main camera in the $200-$399 and sub-$200 segments surged to 3.6 per cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2021," Ms Gong said.
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- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
