Sony announced last February 7, 2017 through an official release that it has created the first three-layer stacked CMOS image sensor for smartphones.
The sensor has an added DRAM layer to the conventional two-layer CMOS image sensors of smartphone cameras today.
Due to the added DRAM layer, the sensor is able to deliver faster data readout speeds with lower power consumption, allowing the new sensor to read a still image of roughly 19.3 megapixels in 1/120 of a second which is four times faster than two-layer CMOS models.
This, according to Sony, reduces focal plane distortion which occurs when users take pictures of fast-moving subjects which lack the mechanical shutter to control the length of exposure.
The fast readout also makes it possible to shoot super-slow motion videos on smartphones up to a rate of 1000 frames per second which is about eight times faster than its predecessors.
The image sensor has an effective pixel count of 21.2 megapixels and can shoot photos at 30 frames per second. It can take 4K resolution videos at 60 frames per second and full high-definition or 720p videos at a maximum of 240 frames per second.
Sony provided a video comparison of what approximately 1000 frames per second slow motion will look like. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFdU-JjypWs