Rumours before its announcement suggested that the Samsung Galaxy Note II might come with a 12 or 13MP rear camera. In the end, while the Galaxy Note II was improved in many ways over the original Galaxy Note, the 8MP rear camera remained unchanged. According to Korean website Ddaily, Samsung had intended to upgrade the camera but backed out of those plans over supply concerns.
The 13MP CMOS sensor was to have been provided by Sony. With Samsung hoping that the the Galaxy Note II will outsell its predecessor, it will need enough sensors for at least 10 million devices. With sufficient supply in doubt, Samsung probably had no choice but to fall back to the 8MP camera.
The report adds that LG’s upcoming Optimus G will use Sony’s 13MP camera sensor. Unlike Samsung, it does not appear to be concerned over supply. Either Sony has resolved its production issues or LG has set more modest supply targets (and sales targets).
Read more: Ddaily (in Chinese) [Google translation] (Source: Unwired View)