OmniVision has unveiled two new sensors capable of enabling high-resolution video shooting on portable devices. The 1/2.3-inch OV16820 and OV16825 sensors, designed for compact cameras and "flagship smartphones" respectively, can shoot 60fps video at 4K2K (3840 x 2160, or four times 1080p) and 30fps video at the full 16-megapixel resolution of 4608 x 3456. The sensors also allow for 16-megapixel burst photography.

Whether the devices these chips are intended for will have the lenses to take advantage of 4K-beating video resolution is another matter entirely, but the specs do sound impressive on paper. While OmniVision doesn't tend to trumpet its clients, the company is a major supplier of CMOS sensors to device manufacturers — a notable recent example is the 5-megapixel chip found in the new iPad and iPhone 4. Whatever products these chips end up in, though, we'll have to wait until after they go into mass production by the fourth quarter of 2012.