Apple CEO Tim Cook recently tweeted, after touring Sony’s Kumamoto factory with CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, that Apple has been using Sony’s camera sensors in iPhones for over ten years. Apple rarely shares information about the specific component manufacturers, usually only mentioning device specifications. For years, there have been rumors that Sony supplies camera sensors for iPhones.
The new iPhone 15 series is expected to be released in the second half of 2023 and will feature state-of-the-art sensors from Sony. According to reports, the camera in the new iPhone model will double the signal saturation in each pixel, providing better exposure and reduced noise in photos. However, Sony has not yet started mass production of these sensors, and they are expected to be produced at its factory in Nagasaki.
Reports indicate that in 2021, Sony controlled about 44% of the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor market, while Samsung ranked second with 18.5%. Sony plans to invest around 900 billion yen in 2023 to gain control of approximately 60% of the CMOS image sensor market by 2025.