Sony has unveiled the LYTIA 720, a new 50 MP camera sensor designed to improve low-light photography and HDR video recording on smartphones. It also supports 4K video recording at up to 120 FPS.
Sony LYTIA 720 50 MP Camera Sensor Features
Starting with the technicalities, the LYTIA 720 is a 50 MP stacked CMOS sensor with a 1/1.56-inch optical format. It has 1.0μm pixels and uses a Quad Bayer colour filter. Here’s a quick look at the key specs:
| Specification | Sony LYTIA 720 |
|---|---|
| Resolution | ~50 MP (effective) |
| Sensor size | 1/1.56-inch (10.24 mm diagonal) |
| Pixel size | 1.0μm |
| Colour filter | Quad Bayer |
| Sensor type | Stacked CMOS |
| Dynamic range | Up to 100 dB (with HF-HDR) |
| Max video | 4K @ 120 FPS; 4K @ 60 FPS with HDR |
| Mass production | Early November 2026 |
The biggest upgrade with the Sony LYTIA 720 50 MP sensor is in low light. It uses Sony’s Ultra High Conversion Gain (UHCG) technology, which helps cut down noise in dark scenes. Sony says it reduces random noise by about 50% compared with the LYTIA 700.
Moving on, the sensor offers up to 100 dB of dynamic range using Sony’s Hybrid Frame-HDR (HF-HDR). The sensor combines two types of data. One capture handles the darker and mid-tone areas, while a separate short exposure captures the bright highlights. They are then merged in post-processing.
Coming to video, the LYTIA 720 can record 4K @ 60 FPS HDR video with all-pixel autofocus turned on. Sony says it’s the first 1/1.56-inch LYTIA sensor with 1.0μm pixels to do this. It also captures HDR in a single frame instead of merging several, which reduces motion artefacts when things move fast in the frame.
Sony has also redesigned the sensor’s analogue-to-digital conversion circuits to cut delay and power consumption. Here are the maximum frame rates the sensor supports, all with all-pixel autofocus:
| Mode | Max frame rate | With DCG-HDR |
|---|---|---|
| 50 MP (4:3) | 30 FPS | – |
| 12.5 MP (4:3) | 90 FPS | 30 FPS |
| 4K (16:9) | 120 FPS | 60 FPS |
That said, Sony says mass-production shipments of the LYTIA 720 will start in early November 2026. The company hasn’t said which phones will use the sensor yet.
The LYTIA 700 and other 1/1.56-inch sensors usually show up on mid-range and upper mid-range phones. So we could see the LYTIA 720 on some of the upcoming phones in India in the coming months.
Related Articles
