Samsung has just shown off some exciting new smartphone camera technology in a press release. The company revealed a new camera called the 50MP ISOCELL GN2 sensor that we expect to find its way onto Samsung's next generation of Galaxy devices.

With this new sensor, Samsung promises faster and more accurate autofocus, which will make it much easier to lock in on a subject and get the picture you want before the opportunity passes you by.

What's So Great About Samsung's Dual Pixel Pro Phone Tech?

If you're a Samsung fan who tends to purchase new Galaxy devices as they launch, this new camera sensor is great news for you. After all, who doesn't want a camera capable of autofocusing faster and more accurately?

Normally, to make the technology work, Samsung (and Canon, who also uses Dual Pixel tech) splits every sensor pixel vertically. From there, they receive light from marginally different angles. This allows the sensor to calculate focus quickly and directly based on the difference between the two. Additionally, all of the sensor's pixels are used for autofocus, which allows the lens to grab focus quickly without losing accuracy.

If you want to go more in-depth on this technology, Canon.com has a full Dual Pixel breakdown.

With this new Dual Pixel Pro technology announced by Samsung, there are some small differences, though. Rather than splitting the pixels vertically, Samsung is splitting them diagonally. This allows each pixel to compare the light coming in from all directions instead of limiting it to just two, as was the case with the existing tech. In some situations, this can lead to even faster autofocus without sacrificing any accuracy.

Duckhyun Chang, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics, spoke about the new technology:

"Our new ISOCELL GN2 features Dual Pixel Pro, an innovative all-direction auto-focusing solution that elevates the agility to capture moments as they unfold. Adding on Smart ISO Pro and a variety of advanced pixel technologies, pictures from GN2 are more true-to-life than ever."

What Else Does Samsung's New Camera Do?

Faster and more accurate autofocus isn't the only thing this new 50MP ISOCELL GN2 camera brings to the table. It also has the ability to capture photos in 100MP mode. In this mode, the GN2 re-arranges the color pixels using an algorithm that creates three individual layers of 50MP frames in green, red, and blue. It then upscales these frames to create a 100MP resolution photograph from the 50MP sensor.

Samsung also announced staggered-HDR, which uses rolling shutters to capture multiple frames in short, middle, and long exposures. This is designed for bright scenes such as sunsets or indoors with daylight coming through a window. It'll capture detail and vivid color in highlights and shadows, creating better images in these sorts of sub-optimal situations.

When Will We See This New Camera?

Samsung says its new camera sensor is in mass production right now, so we'd expect the next generation of Galaxy phones to come with it, though we'll have to wait until those get closer to release to find out.