August 25, 2003 Camera phone module manufacturers specializing in complementary metal oxide semiconductors, or CMOS, are now poised to upgrade image quality of products to 1 million pixels The move is expected to spur domestic mobile phone companies that have been reluctant to adopt high mega-pixel camera modules into new strategies, boosting the image quality of photo phones from the present 300,000 pixels to 1 million level. According to the industry on Aug. 24, leading CMOS camera phone module makers are set to roll out 1 million-pixel modules for mobile phone companies such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. They are now conducting sample tests before supplies.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has completed development of a 1.3 million-pixel CMOS camera module and is now putting final touches on the product before supplies late this month.

Pixel Plus is also set to introduce two CMOS camera modules of 1.3 million pixel level by October this year, reducing the size of products to one third. The company plans to begin rolling out the high-pixel modules in November this year.

Sunyang Digital Image is now conducting a reliability test for 1.3 million-pixel camera phone module it recently developed, aiming at a rollout at the end of this year.

In line with the latest development, such leading mobile phone makers as Samsung Electronics are gearing up to introduce CMOS mega-pixel photo phones in October this year.

By Ahn Su-min & Song Jae-kwon