Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new camera module for smartphones that it claims dramatically improves on a number of areas. Featuring a 13-megapixel sensor, the company calls it "the world's highest-performance camera module".

The main feature that it highlights is a new optical image stabilisation technology. This allows for correcting of angular errors of up to 1.5-degrees off target. Current OIS systems in smartphones, says Samsung, compensate for up to 0.7-degrees.

This extra correction angle reduces blur and increases sharpness.

In addition, the new sensor can take shots and especially Full HD video recordings that are up to eight times brighter than other competing sensors.

The auto focus technology has also been improved to use less power, so reducing the amount of drain on the battery during video recording or photograph taking.

Samsung claims that it has been developing a prototype of the new camera module with a "leading smartphone maker". That might be Samsung itself, of course, with the new camera slated for the Galaxy S5. Generally, different parts are made by different off-shoot companies of the Korean manufacturer and Pocket-lint has previously heard departments referring to each other as separate identities. But it could also mean another smartphone maker; Apple perhaps?

Currently, Apple uses Sony for its iPhone camera modules, but there have been rumours that it is to contract Samsung again for future processing chipsets, perhaps it will switch camera supplier too.