Sony LYTIA 720 50MP Sensor Launched: 100dB Dynamic Range, 4K HDR Video

Highlights

• Sony LYTIA 720 uses UHCG technology that cuts random low-light noise by 50% compared to the LYTIA 700.
• The sensor supports 4K 60fps HDR video recording complemented by active All-Pixel Autofocus.
• Sony LYTIA 720 is expected to ship in early November 2026.

Sony has officially announced the LYTIA 720, a new 50MP stacked CMOS image sensor for smartphones. The sensor is packed with upgraded circuit architectures that reduce random noise by 50% when compared to LYTIA 700, advanced HDR capabilities and improved power efficiency, bringing professional-grade video and clean low-light imaging to mainstream device form factors.

Sony LYTIA 720 Sensor Specifications

The Sony LYTIA 720 uses Sony’s stacked CMOS architecture, which separates the photodiode and circuit layers to improve pixel area and processing efficiency.

50MP Resolution and 1/1.56-Inch Sensor Size

The new Sony sensor has an effective resolution of around 50 megapixels, with a 1/1.56-inch optical format and a native 1.0μm pixel size. It features a Quad Bayer colour filter array, which means that four neighbouring pixels can bin together to form an effective pixel size of 2.0μm. This binning mode preserves 12.5MP photos with good detail in low-light conditions, maximising photon capture per output pixel.

Hybrid Frame HDR with 100 dB Dynamic Range

The Sony LYTIA 720 sensor is based on the Hybrid Frame-HDR technology with a dynamic range of up to 100dB. In high-contrast shooting environments, highlights can get clipped and dark details lost. The LYTIA 720 utilises multiple exposure signals in each frame to balance the extremes of highlights and shadows.

4K 60fps HDR Video With All-Pixel Autofocus

With optimised Analog-to-Digital (AD) conversion circuitry, Sony LYTIA 720 supports 4K video capture at 60fps with HDR enabled and full-phase All-Pixel Autofocus across the frame. The sensor can also capture regular 4K video at up to 120fps without HDR for high-frame-rate tracking.

Low-Light Noise Reduced by 50% Compared With LYTIA 700

The LYTIA 720 sensor boasts a major breakthrough in its readout architecture. Sony claims the random noise in low-light situations is about 50% lower than the previous-generation LYTIA 700 sensor. Noise reduction helps retain fine textures, colours, and shadow detail in low-light shooting environments.

Sony LYTIA 720 Brings Better Low-Light Smartphone Photography

According to Sony’s announcement, the Sony LYTIA 720 captures better photos in low light, thanks to its Ultra High Conversion Gain (UHCG) circuit technology, which maximises charge-to-voltage conversion efficiency at the pixel level. In low-light scenes, the sensor converts captured photons to a higher voltage before the signal goes to downstream processing. This suppresses random thermal and electronic read noise by about 50%.

Sony LYTIA 720 vs LYTIA 700: What’s Improved?

Both the LYTIA 720 and LYTIA 700 share the same 1/1.56-inch optical format and 50MP resolution, but the LYTIA 720 brings performance upgrades across video, dynamic range, low-light imaging, and focus processing.

HDR Video Recording at 4K 60fps

The LYTIA 700 supports standard 4K 60 fps output and DAG-HDR video modes but compromises when trying to maintain high-frame-rate HDR at full focus tracking. On the other hand, The LYTIA 720 features new low-latency AD conversion circuits, enabling simultaneous single-frame 4K 60 fps HDR video with continuous all-pixel AF.

Low-Light Performance and Dynamic Range

The LYTIA 700 offers Quad Bayer pixel binning for solid low-light capture. Conversely, the LYTIA 720 brings UHCG circuit architecture to reduce random low-light noise by 50%. Also, Hybrid Frame-HDR (HF-HDR) extends the dynamic range to 100 dB.

Autofocus and Image Processing

The LYTIA 700 supports standard phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) behaviour on binned pixel arrays. On the other hand, the LYTIA 720 boosts the analog-to-digital processing speed to support all-pixel continuous autofocus in high frame rate modes, including 4K 120fps non-HDR and 4K 60fps HDR.

When Will Sony LYTIA 720 Sensors Ship?

Sony will start shipping the LYTIA 720 sensor in mass production in early November of 2026. But it is not confirmed yet which smartphones will have the LYTIA 720. The Sony LYTIA 720 is rumoured to be featured in the Vivo S70 series, Oppo Reno 17 series, and Honor 700 series, all expected to be launched in China in November.