Sony IMX 363 vs IMX 766 : Which one is better ?

Whenever it comes to choosing the best camera phone then the thing which matters the most is the quality of the Sensor. There's a myth among people regarding the Quality of the Camera which is that a lot of them think that the picture quality is only dependent on how many Megapixels are there irrespective of the Sensor used.

IMX363 vs IMX766
Since Sony is one of the major players in the Camera Sensor market which delivers a different range of top-notch camera sensors so it becomes essential to compare the two different sensors according to their specifications. IMX363 and IMX766, both come under the Range of Sony's Exmor RS Sensors which have different specifications so let's look deeper into the differences and see which one is best. 

Sony IMX363 vs IMX766 Comparison:

1. Launch Date: Both the Sensors fall under the same category of sensors named Exmor RS Sensors but the IMX 766 was recently launched in 2020 while the IMX 366 was launched way back before 2020. 

Winner: Latest Sensor means it will have the latest technology and better specifications as compared to the older one. Sony IMX 766 is the clear winner because it is the latest camera sensor as compared to the IMX 366.

2. Fabrication Technology: Both the sensors are CMOS(Combined Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Active-Pixel Sensors(APS) type sensors. CMOS is a MOSFET(Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) Fabrication technology which is a combination of P-type MOS(PMOS) & N-type(NMOS). CMOS sensors are fast and consume less power as compared to the previously used CCD(Charged Couple Device) sensors. Also, both the sensors use Sony's Exmor technology(which makes the sensor Parallelly Run Analog to Digital conversion and Noise Reduction process) and fall under the category of Exmor RS Sensors(6th Generation Sensor).

Winner: Since both, the sensors use the same fabrication technology so both the sensors are winners for this parameter. 

3. Resolution: Image sensor resolution is the number of pixels a sensor can capture, both horizontally and vertically. IMX 363 offers a resolution of 4032 x 3024 Pixels which makes it 12.2 MP(MegaPixels) while IMX 766 offers a resolution of 8192 x 6144 which makes it 50 MP. 

Winner: Higher resolution means more detail in the image. Here IMX 766 has a higher resolution so it is the clear winner hence it will offer a more detailed image. 

4. Sensor Size: Sensor size relates to the information of the image that the sensor will collect. The more the size of the sensor will be, the better the quality of the image will be. Here IMX 363 has a (1/2.55") sensor size while the IMX 766 has a (1/1.56") sensor size. 

Note: Sensor Size is measured Diagonally.

Winner: Since the sensor size directly relates to the better quality image hence IMX 766 is a clear winner because it has a bigger sensor size.

5. Unit Cell Size: Unit Cell or Photosite is the smallest unit of a sensor that collects photons(Packets of Light) from outside and produces a signal, which is then used as a pixel. While Pixel is a data or a code that gets reflected on a Unit Cell/Photosite accordingly. Here Sony IMX 363 has a unit cell size of 1.40 μm while IMX 766 has a size of 1.0 μm. Higher unit cell size relates to a bigger pixel size and absorption of more light, also it has less noise than that seen in the pixel of a smaller size. A Higher Unit cell size means the image will be having fewer pixels as compared to the sensor with a Low Unit cell size which means it will be having less noise on pixel level but will not possess the scaling feature. 

Note: The difference between a Higher Unit Cell and a Lower Unit Cell image almost disappears on high ISO settings. A Smaller Unit Cell Size sensor image will be having more details compared to a bigger unit cell sensor image.

Winner: It would be difficult to spot a clear winner in this case since if someone is looking to get the image printed or displayed on a large area then a small unit cell size will be beneficial but if someone is looking for an image with less pixel noise irrespective of the size so Bigger Cell Size would be beneficial. Generally, the new Smartphones are having sensors with smaller Unit Cell Sizes along with advanced image optimization techniques so it would be better to go with a small unit cell sensor. So here Sony IMX 766 can be declared a winner.

6. Subpixel Layout: Subpixel layout refers to the arrangement of color components in the pixel. Nowadays, 3 colors named Red, Green, and Blue are only used to create a pixel but their arrangement makes a huge difference in the picture quality. IMX 363 uses Bayer Filter RGB layout(where the RGB Color components are spread individually over the grid) while the IMX766 uses the advanced version of Bayer Filter known as Quad Bayer RGB Filter(where color components of the same color are clubbed together to form a Pixel). 

IMX363 vs IMX766

Winner: IMX 766 has a newly developed Technology(by Sony) named Quad Bayer Filter which offers High Sensitivity, High Resolution, better low light performance and makes it flexible to offer a high-quality image accordingly. 

7. Phase Autofocus: PDAF(Phase Detection Autofocus) technique compares the different phases of the object and then determines the required focus distance. This is done with the help of Autofocus Pixels which comprises 5% of the total image sensor pixels. Dual Pixel PDAF is the extension of the PDAF where 100% of the pixels on an image sensor are used for both imaging and autofocusing. Since Dual Pixel PDAF offers Faster and noise-free image processing so it is better than the conventional PDAF technology. Here Sony IMX 363 offers Dual Pixel Phase Detection Autofocusing while IMX 766 offers the Omni-directional PDAF technology which is based on Sony’s 2x2 On-Chip Lens (OCL) solution that utilizes a condenser lens on top of four adjacent pixels in a Quad Bayer color filter array. This mechanism allows to detect phase differences across all pixels and enables high accuracy for small objects. This also boosts focus performance in low-light conditions.

Winner: Since IMX 766 has an Omni-directional (Phase Detection Auto Focus) technology which offers enhanced and fast autofocusing capabilities as compared to the conventional PDAF technology. Also, it improves the performance in Low-light conditions so IMX 766 is the clear winner here. 

Final Verdict: Since the IMX 766 is one of the latest sensors which offers good features and performs better for multiple parameters so IMX 766 is the clear winner here. 

We hope this article cleared your confusion about Sony's IMX363 vs IMX766 sensors.
Thanks for Reading!!

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