HTC recently launched the HTC One, a new flagship smartphone that features an impressive UltraPixel camera. The majority of other smartphone cameras are measured in megapixels, the Sony Xperia Z boasts a 13-megapixel snapper for example, and the BlackBerry Z10 houses an 8-megapixel camera. So, the decision to make the jump to UltraPixels is breaking new ground in the mobile world.

But what exactly is an UltraPixel camera? Is it better than a regular smartphone snapper, and most importantly, when will it come in handy? Read on to find out…

What is UltraPixel technology?
UltraPixel is the name that HTC has come up with for its new innovative camera technology that can be found in the HTC One, which features an UltraPixel sensor. This sensor clocks in at around 4 megapixels, and whilst this sounds low when compared to other smartphone camera sensors, more pixels don’t necessarily equal higher quality photographs.

Pixels are dots in the sensor, which ‘collect’ light, so a 4-megapixel camera will have 4 million pixels. The reason why the UltraPixel camera can produce great pictures even though it has a lesser megapixel count than its rivals is due to the fact the pixels are up to three times larger than ‘regular’ megapixels. As a result, these UltraPixels are able to collect more light than regular megapixels, meaning better performance.

Sometimes, cramming more megapixels in to a sensor can result in image noise (interference and pollution within an image) due to of a lack of light collected. Having fewer pixels but making them larger means each UltraPixel can work harder to gather more light, resulting in more detail and accurate colour representation in pictures.

When will you use UltraPixel tech?
Have you ever been disappointed with photos taken in dark pubs and bars on nights out? The low light may be good for ambience, but it’s definitely not good for photography. Using a bright flash can sometimes wash out photos and make people in the pictures look white. With the UltraPixel camera though, you can take excellent quality photos that capture the detail and colour saturation of subjects very accurately, even in those dimly lit nightclubs and restaurants.

The great thing about the UltraPixel camera is the same great performance in low-light conditions is available when recording video footage. So, if you’re shooting a video in dull surroundings you’ll still be able to benefit from the extra light the larger UltraPixels gather. This means if you’re making a video of a friend blowing out the candles on a birthday cake in a darkened room, you’ll be able to see more detail than if you were using a regular smartphone camera.

The HTC One’s UltraPixel camera definitely lives up to expectations, and pictures produced rival those created by a compact digital camera. Although the whole UltraPixel thing may sound like a gimmick, the tech behind it is extremely clever and advanced and the quality of the pictures produced by the HTC One is testament to just how well it performs. But don’t take our word for it; check out the HTC One in action in our video review.

This guest post was written by Abbi Cox of Phones 4u, where you can pre-order the HTC One in silver and black right now.