Sharp announces world’s thinnest camera module with optical image stabilization; takes 12 MP pictures

Sharp has announced that they’ve successfully made the world’s thinnest camera module with optical image stabilization. Just how thin are we talking about here? A mind bending 5.47 mm! The RJ63YC100, as it’s called, is capable of taking 12 megapixel photos, capturing 1080p videos, and is backside-illuminated so it’ll be able to take photos at night time without producing craptacular results. It’s shipping now, though volume production doesn’t kick off until January of next year. The first two devices to make use of this module are of course Sharp’s Japanese smartphones that’ll never leave the island nation. There’s the Sharp Aquos SH-01D, which is the first smartphone to ship with a 3D enabled 720p display, and the Sharp Aquos 102SH, which doesn’t do anything “special” by Japanese standards, but is still pretty none the less.

Now we know what you’re thinking, when will American and European smartphones get this thing? We wouldn’t be surprised to see 12 megapixels becoming the baseline for high end smartphones during 2012, which would mean that the 5th generation iPhone may very well pack this improved component. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is just 40 days away, and then a month after that is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. If we don’t see 12 megapixel smartphones at either of these two events, then we’ll be let down. Before the camera snobs chime in, yes we know that the optics are more important than the actual camera itself, but there’s only so much glass you can shove into the back of smartphone before it simply gets unwieldily. Just look at the Nokia N8.

Equally as important as the camera module or the optics is the image processing software. That’s something Apple and Nokia have nearly perfected, something that Samsung is quickly catching up on, and the rest of the industry just disappoints. What do you think will be the imaging flagship of 2012?