If you look at the batches of new cell phones Japan’s leading mobile carriers have been presenting in recent months , you’ll notice the high-quality cameras some of the models have. And now major Japanese chip maker Renesas (which merged with NEC last year) is even promising [JP] 16MP cameras in future handsets.
The company claims its new image-processing system chip, the CE150, will make it possible to produce 16MP phone cameras for the first time, up from the maximum 13MP that are currently available. Renesas says the new chip paves the way to five times faster continuous shots, too. Users will also be able to shoot full HD video (Renesas unveiled a full HD video processor for cell phone cameras as early as December 2008 ). The chip will be mass-produced as early a March, with Renesas planning to churn out 1 million units monthly. Sample units are already available for $48 apiece.
