Silicon Image Introduces 18 MP Camera Processor IP Core

Silicon Image, Inc. has developed and released a new, 18-megapixel camera processor IP core: the camerIC-18. The powerful new product is intended for digital cameras and portable devices, including cell phones and laptops. The semiconductor and intelligent property (IP) company emphasizes that the camerIC-18 model can and will deliver high-quality photos with a cost-efficient design. Specifically, the new IP core will support wide dynamic range processing, image stablization and a host of the typical camera features including (but not limited to) auto focus, exposure, white balance and lens shade correction.

The Silicon Valley-based company predicts that in four years, "over 95 percent of mobile phones will have an integrated digital camera, and...over 25 percent of smartphones will support 5MP or higher resolution cameras." While a few smartphones already have that kind of resolution or higher, its becoming so that a popular, successful mobile phone depends on the camera its built with.