Toni Hobrecht
According to reports from Nikkei News, Sony is already hard at work on the new generation of camera sensors for the Apple iPhone 15 series. Accordingly, the Japanese have already developed the new image sensor and released the first development samples to Apple and other mobile phone manufacturers.
New iPhone 15 sensor collects twice as much light
Compared to conventional sensors, Sony’s new sensor can double the saturation signal level per pixel. In plain language: The new sensor captures more light and reduces over- or underexposure in certain scenarios. Even when the subject is in a strongly backlit environment, parts such as faces should be clearly captured. Sony achieved this breakthrough using a new semiconductor architecture in which photodiodes and transistors are arranged in separate substrate layers. This allows the sensor to add more photodiodes to dedicated layers.
According to the British Omdia institute, Sony controlled 44 percent of the global market for CMOS image sensors last year. Samsung was in second place with 18.5 percent. However, Sony’s share has been declining in recent years. Therefore, using a Sony sensor in the iPhone 15 series models is crucial for Sony.
A recent report shows that Apple’s market value has fallen by $1 trillion this year. The main reason for this is due to the sales figures of the iPhone 14 series, which were significantly below expectations. Industry analysts cite, among other things, a lack of innovation at Apple. And not only with the iPhones, but also in areas such as accessories and Internet services.
Tax issues, App Store fees, USB-C
There are other roadblocks around Apple as well, like the Apple tax, which forces developers to pay up to a 30% fee. In May this year, the EU filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple’s payment service. Even Elon Musk has approached Apple via Twitter about the Apple App Store fees. Another problem is the group’s tax tricks, which are currently being dealt with in the Netherlands, among others.
The Lightning port, which Apple has been using to charge its phones for many years, is also a problem. Almost all Android manufacturers have now switched to USB-C. Not only is the port slow, but it also increases the amount of e-waste that Apple claims to deal with.
Experts point out that high accessory and MFi certification fees bring many profits to Apple. That’s the main reason Apple isn’t willing to unify the charging port. In October of this year, the EU called for a uniform charging connection. If Apple finally bows to new EU laws with the iPhone 15 series, the annual loss could exceed tens of billions of dollars.
