Toni Hobrecht
Everyone in the smartphone industry knows that Apple keeps a tight eye on its suppliers and the technical specifications of its products, or keeps it completely under wraps. So it’s a pretty big deal for Apple CEO Tim Cook to visit a Sony CMOS camera sensor research facility.
Analysts and fans of the brand have suspected Japanese sensors under the iPhone cameras for years. Finally, during the visit, Tim Cook admitted that Apple has been working with Sony for over a decade. The Apple boss posted a photo with Sony’s CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, showing the two managing directors in a Sony factory.
The California-based company also doesn’t like to comment on its battery, chip, and display suppliers. However, supply chain analysts have revealed that Corning makes Apple’s glass front and back panels, while Samsung and LG supply the majority of OLED panels. The actual chipsets come from TSMC’s factories.
The Sony-Apple deal in terms of camera hardware has so far been largely unconfirmed. And it looks like it won’t end anytime soon. According to some reports, Sony is working on a sensor with new semiconductor technologies that collect more light and reduce under or overexposure. This sensor may already end up in the next generation of iPhones.
