Toshiba started sampling the T4K35, its newest super-compact camera sensor which will will hear a lot about in the months ahead. Designed for smartphones and tablets, the CMOS sensor features an 8-megapixel resolution, back-side illumination (BSI), a quarter of an inch optical size, a resulting pixel size of 1.12 micrometer, and 4:3 aspect ratio.

The T4K35 is capable of capturing 30 frames per second, and features color noise reduction circuitry that enhances low-light photography. Since smartphones and tablets ship with barely any optics, hardware noise-reduction is the most sought after feature with camera sensors in the category.

The T4K35 closely follows a slightly bigger 13-megapixel retina by the company, the T4K37, with a similar feature-set. Toshiba expects the new sensor to begin featuring in devices by the second half of this year.