Apple iPhone 15 Tipped For Cutting Edge Sony Camera Sensor With Superior Low Light Photos
In a rather expected, but welcomed bit of news, the Sony Group revealed that it will be supplying Apple with its latest-and-greatest image sensor that will likely be featured in future iPhone 15s. The sensor was developed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions, while manufacturing will be by done in the company's Nagasaki facility. The report says that Apple and other smartphone manufacturers will begin receiving the new sensors, which implies that they might not necessarily be an Apple exclusive.
Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro uses Sony's 48MP IMX803; the new sensor's designation is yet unknown. What is known is that each pixel on the sensor will have double the light saturation level, therefore capturing more light. It will also reduce over- or under-exposure, such as improving the exposure of a subject's face when the subject is against a strong backlight. It is claimed that this breakthrough stems from Sony placing photodiodes and transistors in separate substrate layers, whereby allowing more photodiodes to fit on their own layer on the sensor.
The announcement also mentions Sony's continued push to dominate more of the image sensor market that it already leads. The company announced in May plans for 900 billion yen ($6.46 billion) in capital expenditures for image sensors in the three years. At the Nagasaki plant, the group is expanding its newest facility, which began operation last year. Sony also said in May that it hopes to capture a 60% market share in CMOS image sensors by fiscal 2025. In 2021, Sony lead the global market in CMOS sensors at 44%, with Samsung a distant 18.5%. Nonetheless, due to a business fallout with smartphone maker Huawei, Sony's share has declined over the past couple of years.
