According to the details provided by Sony, the new IMX586 is a stacked camera sensor with ultra-compact pixel size of 0.8 ?m, allowing it to pack a total of 48-megapixels in a 1/2-type (8.0mm diagonal) unit.

It uses the Quad Bazer color filter array with adjacent 2x2 pixels coming in the same color, allowing it to make high-sensitivity pictures. In a low-light scenario, the sensor uses signals from the four adjacent pixels raising the sensitivity to a level of 1.6 ?m pixels (12 megapixels), producing bright and low-noise images.

In addition to the Quad Bayer color filter array, the sensor also comes with built-in Sony exposure control technology and signal processing functionality, which should bring better dynamic range.

While Sony did not reveal which smartphone will be the first to carry the new Sony IMX586 sensor, the best bet is Sony's own Xperia XZ3 flagship which should be announced at the IFA 2018 show in late August, although some earlier rumors suggested it could have the same camera setup as the Xperia XZ2 Premium.