Sony LYTIA 720 Announced – 50MP 1/1.56-Inch Mobile Sensor, 4K 60p HDR, 100 dB Dynamic Range

Smartphone Filmmaking

by Nino LeitnerToday

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Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the LYTIA 720, a 50-megapixel image sensor for the main camera of smartphones. It is not a flagship chip, but it brings technology from Sony’s high-end LYTIA sensors down to the 1/1.56-type format that many mid-range and upper mid-range phones use. For mobile video shooters, the interesting part is that the sensor can record 4K at 60fps in HDR with all-pixel autofocus active.

The Sony LYTIA 720 is a stacked CMOS sensor with a 10.24mm diagonal, approximately 50 effective megapixels and 1.0μm pixels behind a Quad Bayer Coding color filter. Sony claims that a new Ultra High Conversion Gain (UHCG) circuit reduces random noise in dark scenes by approximately 50% compared to the LYTIA 700, the previous 1/1.56-type, 50MP sensor in the range. With Hybrid Frame-HDR, Sony quotes a dynamic range of 100 dB. In video, the sensor reads out 4K (16:9) at up to 120fps, or at 60fps with DCG-HDR enabled, and all-pixel autofocus stays active in all listed modes. Sony plans to start mass-production shipments in early November 2026.

We have reported on several LYTIA sensors over the past year. The LYTIA 901 is a 200MP chip designed for lossless in-sensor zoom, and the LYTIA L910 introduced a LOFIC structure for 100 dB from a single exposure. More recently, the telephoto camera of the Vivo X500 Pro debuted the 1/2-type LYTIA 610. The LYTIA 720 sits in a different place: it is a smaller, more mainstream sensor that inherits parts of that technology.

Less noise in low light

The main claim is the low-light performance. UHCG circuit technology increases the efficiency of the charge-to-voltage conversion, which Sony says suppresses the grain that comes from noise in dark environments. The company’s comparison image shows the LYTIA 700 and the LYTIA 720 side by side at 2 lux. Sony describes the result as a brighter image from the new sensor at a similar noise level, rather than a cleaner image at the same brightness.

Sony calls this “industry-leading” low-light performance among mobile CMOS sensors, based on its own research at the time of the announcement. The 50% figure is a comparison with Sony’s own previous product, not a measured result from a third party. For context, the L910 used the same UHCG approach and Sony claimed a 30% noise reduction there, against the larger LYTIA 828.

4K 60p HDR with all-pixel autofocus

For video, the more practical change is in the readout. Sony says it optimized the analog-to-digital (AD) conversion circuits, which reduces the conversion time and also lowers the power consumption of the sensor. According to Sony, the LYTIA 720 is the first 1/1.56-type LYTIA sensor with 1.0μm pixels that records 4K 60fps HDR video with all-pixel autofocus.

The HDR video mode uses single-frame Dual Conversion Gain HDR (DCG-HDR). The sensor reads the same exposure at two conversion gains, so it does not need to merge separate frames that are captured at different times. Sony says this suppresses motion artifacts and keeps a sufficient exposure time for low-noise images. For anyone who has seen ghosting on moving subjects in a phone’s HDR video mode, this is the relevant point.

The frame rates with all-pixel autofocus are as follows. The full 50MP (4:3) readout runs at 30fps. In 12.5MP (4:3) mode, the sensor reaches 90fps, or 30fps with DCG-HDR. 4K2K (16:9) runs at 120fps, or 60fps with DCG-HDR. So 4K 120fps is possible, but only without HDR.

What about the 100 dB figure?

The 100 dB dynamic range comes from Hybrid Frame-HDR (HF-HDR). This technology combines DCG-HDR data, which covers the low to medium brightness range from one exposure, with a separate short-exposure frame for the highlights. The two are merged in post-processing. A dynamic range of 100 dB converts to approximately 16.6 stops.

Two points are important here. First, HF-HDR is not a single-exposure method like the LOFIC-based approach in the L910, because it adds a second, shorter frame for the highlights. Second, the specification table lists only DCG-HDR for the 4K 60fps mode, and Sony does not say at which frame rates HF-HDR is available. The 100 dB figure therefore describes the capability of the sensor with HF-HDR, not necessarily what a phone records in 4K 60p HDR.

Dynamic range figures on a sensor data sheet are also not the same as what reaches the final file. The image processor, noise reduction, tone mapping and codec of each phone all have an effect. Our Lab Tests of various cameras and smartphones show how measured results from finished devices can differ from manufacturer claims.

Interface and power

The sensor uses an analog supply of 2.8V and 1.8V, a digital supply of 1.1V and an interface voltage of 1.8V or 1.2V. Output is via MIPI C-PHY (2 or 3 trios, maximum 4.5 Gsps per trio) or MIPI D-PHY (2 or 4 lanes, maximum 2.5 Gbps per lane). These figures are relevant to phone makers more than to users, but the lower power consumption from the faster AD conversion can have an effect on heat and battery life during long 4K recordings.

Which phones will use it?

Sony does not name any customers in the announcement. The company says only that the 1/1.56-type size is “widely adopted in the smartphone market” and that it wants to bring high-quality imaging to more users. With mass production starting in early November 2026, the first phones with the LYTIA 720 are likely to come from manufacturers that announce them in their own launch events. Until then, there is no confirmed device.

More information about the LYTIA range is on Sony’s LYTIA brand site.

Is a cleaner 4K 60p HDR mode on a mid-size sensor more important to you than larger sensors and higher resolution in phones? Let us know in the comments below!