Equipping Sony’s sensors in the iPhone 15 series models is crucial for Sony, which can strengthen Sony’s competitive advantage in high-definition photography technology. Samsung Electronics has launched a variety of camera sensors, shaking Sony’s position in image sensors.

Compared with traditional sensors, Sony’s new sensor can double the saturation signal level of each pixel. That said, the sensor captures more light and reduces overexposure or underexposure in certain scenes. Even if the subject is in a strong backlight environment, the human face can be clearly captured.

Sony achieved this breakthrough using a new semiconductor architecture that places photodiodes and transistors in separate substrate layers, allowing the sensor to add more photodiodes to dedicated layers.

Sony controlled a 44 percent global share of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensors last year, with Samsung in second place with 18.5 percent, according to U.K.-based analytics firm Omdia. But Sony’s share has been declining in recent years.

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Research by Strategy Analytics found that the smartphone image sensor market size will decline by 5% year-on-year in the first half of 2022. Sony Semiconductor Solutions topped the list with a 44% revenue share, followed by Samsung System LSI and OmniVision. Sony, Samsung, and OmniVision account for nearly 83% of the global smartphone image sensor market revenue share. In the multi-camera application of smartphones, the market share of image sensors for Depth and Macro applications dropped to 26%, while the market share of Ultrawide applications rose to 20%.

Jeffrey Mathews, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said: “Multi-camera adoption in the smartphone image sensor market has slowed due to declining smartphone demand and inventories in customers’ supply chains during this period. Developed large-size and high-resolution image sensor products, increasing its market share. In addition, Samsung continued to lead high-resolution demand by offering 200MP CIS products to customers, while Omnivision lost market share due to customer disruptions in China due to the outbreak. “

Stephen Entwistle, Vice President, Strategic Technology Practice at Strategy Analytics, added: “As demand momentum continues to be subdued, OEMs are expected to create opportunities in positioning smartphones with high-end and ultra-high-end imaging capabilities. Launching flagship smartphones with high-resolution cameras will Improve the smartphone image sensor market in the short term.”

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According to Samsung, compared to the previous generation of Samsung 0.64 micron (μm) pixels, the ISOCELL HP3 has a 12 percent smaller pixel size and contains 200 million pixels in a 1/1.4-inch optical format, which means the ISOCELL HP3 can reduce the camera module area by 20 percent, allowing smartphone manufacturers to ensure that their high-end products have a thin and light body.

ISOCELL HP3 is equipped with Super QPD autofocus solution, which means that all sensor pixels are equipped with autofocus.

In addition, the Super QPD autofocus technology detects horizontal and vertical phase differences using a single lens on four adjacent pixels, and these allow the smartphone to autofocus more accurately and quickly.

It enables users to shoot 8K video at 30fps (Frames Per Second) or 4K video at 120fps with less loss of field of view.

ISOCELL HP3 also offers a better dark-light shooting experience. Tetra²pixel technology allows 4 pixels in one, converting a 0.56-micron (μm) 200-megapixel sensor to a 1.12-micron (μm) 50-megapixel sensor; or 16 pixels in one, yielding a 2.24-micron (μm) 12.5-megapixel sensor.

This technology enables the sensor to simulate a large pixel sensor, allowing brighter, more vivid photos to be taken even in dark environments such as indoors or at night.

To maximize the dynamic range of the moving image sensor, the ISOCELL HP3 features improved Intelligent ISO Pro technology, which blends the image information generated by the two conversion gains of low ISO mode and high ISO mode to produce HDR images.

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Sony’s image sensor global market share took a slight dip, but this wasn’t the case with rival manufacturers. The likes of Samsung ranking second place in the global sensor market saw a rise in their shares and so did the third place occupants OmniVision with the latter seeing a more significant rise. Comparing Sony’s share for this year with that of last year, you would notice a 1.3% drop, this is in addition to the fact that the shares of its direct competitors went up.

Sony needs to fight hard to retain its dominance as the world’s largest image sensor producer. Its direct competition, Samsung, is tackling the business by offering image sensors at lower prices. Samsung electronics mentioned in a press conference, “We plan to supply 100 million to 200 million pixel sensors that are leading in technology without any major disruptions to customer requests.” The amount of sensors quoted above is enormous, this has to be matched or even doubled by market leader Sony.

Samsung is also stepping up the game concerning the number of megapixels it offers. Recently, the company kicked up the highest megapixels on a mobile camera to 200MP. This shows that Samsung is not only taking on the budget supplies but also the flagships. 

Sony sure has a lot of competition coming from Samsung and OmniVision. But the company is still sitting comfortably at the top of the image sensor pecking order. Sony still dominates in the sensor market, supplying sensors to more devices than the likes of Samsung Electronics. But there is a need for Sony to sit up and rebuild its market shares to stay clear of any possible threat.

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