Apple is diligently developing its proprietary camera sensor
In addition to revealing that Vision Pro may debut in the US market around March next year, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman further disclosed that Apple is diligently developing its proprietary camera sensor, anticipated for use in future iPhones, successors to Vision Pro, and the long-rumored autonomous vehicles.
With the iPhone, Apple is likely embarking on creating its sensor, enhancing the iPhone’s photographic capabilities, and expanding its application possibilities, thereby offering a robust challenge to Android smartphones.
Apple initially collaborated with Sony in 2010, custom-designing sensors for each subsequent iPhone model. For instance, the Sony IMX803 sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a 48-million-pixel resolution capacity and corresponds to a 1/1.3-inch size.
In this year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max release, Apple began to craft customized sensors, allowing the camera lens to adapt to various focal lengths. If this trend continues, it signifies that Apple could substantially augment the iPhone’s camera functionalities with more versatile applications.
Currently, in the Android market, manufacturers including Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO have commenced collaborations with Sony and Samsung for customized sensor designs. These not only enhance the sensor size to 1 inch but also incorporate lens technologies from esteemed brands like Leica, Zeiss, and Hasselblad to elevate the mobile photography experience.
Furthermore, including Qualcomm and MediaTek, there’s an emerging trend of flagship processors deeply integrating with Sony’s sensors. Samsung’s processors also synergize with their proprietary sensors, facilitating improved camera performance in smartphones utilizing these processor designs. This integration might have spurred Apple to accelerate its investment in the design of proprietary sensors.
