Tim Cook revealed on Twitter that Apple uses Sony image sensors in its iPhones as part of its supplier tour in Japan. Cook thanked Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida for showing him around the facility in Kumamoto and shared a photo of himself showing off his own iPhone. This partnership with Sony has allowed Apple to create the best iPhone camera sensors on the market.
Apple doesn’t usually share details about the hardware components it uses in each iPhone, so it’s big news that Tim Cook has confirmed that the company has used Sony camera sensors in its devices for more than a decade. Although Apple’s website often lists the specifics of each iPhone’s camera, such as resolution and field of view, rather than the specific components, the era of computational photography makes these specifications less relevant.
It may not come as a surprise that Apple is using Sony camera sensors in its iPhones, as there are numerous industry reports pointing in that direction. According to a 2015 Wall Street Journal report, Apple was using two Sony sensors in the iPhone 6, and previous iFixit teardowns have mentioned Sony-specific model numbers. Sony is considered a leader in the image sensor market, with a 44% market share in CMOS image sensors as of last year, according to Nikkei Asia. Samsung is the second largest with a market share of 18.5%.
Tim Cook’s visit to Sony facilities suggests that the partnership between the two companies will continue for the foreseeable future. According to a recent report from Nikkei Asia, Sony has developed a new image sensor that uses improved semiconductor architecture to capture more light and reduce overexposure and underexposure. The new sensor is expected to be used in the next generation of Apple iPhones, but will also be shipped to other smartphone makers.
Link: twitter.com/tim_cook
