NEC Shows Off Camera Engine 151 SoC For Camera Phones

Camera phones are great thanks to the fact that they allow us to have a camera with us at all times. Take the iPhone for instance I like that there is a camera there, but we can all agree that the quality of the camera leaves a lot to be desired. The day when our camera phones can take pictures as well as a stand-alone camera will be a happy day for most of us.

NEC has unveiled a new SoC that it calls Camera Engine 151. CE151 is a system-on-chip image-processing device for camera phones that promises clear still images of the same quality as digital still cameras. The new SoC has a resolution of up to 13MP and can output 1080p HD video streams.

The main features of the new SoC include improved noise reduction for better image quality. The SoC lowers power consumption by about 25% compared to the existing NEC CE143 SoC. CE151 supports SpeedTags technology from Scalado for managing the time between shutter activation and when the image is stored resulting in less shutter lag. The new SoC also has improved image stabilization functions and optical compensation technologies. The new SoC will certainly add to the price of a phone though, the CE151 alone sells for $40 each. NEC expects to produce a million units per month starting in April.