Taipei (Taiwan) - Samsung has developed what it claims is the world’s smallest 8.4 megapixel (MP) image sensor, increasing the maximum resolution for digital cameras in mobile phones.

The mobile CIS chip offers the same image quality as a CCD sensor most commonly used in digital still cameras, according to Samsung. In addition to providing more pixels than has ever been seen for a commercial cell phone camera, Samsung says the new 8 MP chip has a high signal to noise ratio and incorporates "advanced light sensing features".

The most commonly seen sensor in cell phone cameras offers a resolution of 1.3 MP, though high-end phones have reached upwards of 6 MP. According to Samsung’s internal market research, by 2009 most cell phones will have cameras with a resolution of 3 MP and higher.

Samsung already has mobile sensors from 1.3 MP to 5 MP, and it says the 8 MP chip will be available in the second half of this year.