According to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Sony’s semiconductor capacity constraints are projected to extend until 2025. These constraints are attributed to the adoption of stacked design CIS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensor) technology in the upcoming iPhone models.
The implementation of stacked design CIS is expected to revolutionize smartphone photography and videography, promising significant improvements in image and video capture capabilities.
Apple’s future plans for its iPhone lineup are equally ambitious, with the introduction of two iPhone 15 standard models and iPhone 16 Pro models, all equipped with cutting-edge stacked-designed CIS technology.
As a result of iPhone 16’s adoption of Sony’s high-end CIS capacity, Will Semiconductor (Will Semi) faces increased competition in the market. To counter this, Will Semi aims to secure more orders from Chinese smartphone brands, thereby bolstering its market growth.
Despite facing a decline in CIS shipments during the first half of 2023 due to inventory issues, Will Semi anticipates a remarkable recovery in the second half, with a projected year-on-year growth of about 8%.
With an anticipated 35% year-over-year increase in shipments for the second half of 2023, Sony’s constrained capacity presents Will Semi with a chance to increase its high-end CIS market share. Looking ahead, 2024 is predicted to see total CIS growth of 15-20% and high-end CIS growth of 40–50% year over year, indicating significant sales and profit growth starting in the second half of 2023.
Considering this latest report, significant camera enhancements can be expected in the upcoming iPhone models. Additionally, the sensor segment is anticipated to experience overall growth, driven by the increasing demand for stacked design CIS.
We all know that Apple releases new models every year. This year Apple is planning to reveal the latest iPhone 15 series and the company already started working on the iPhone 16 series for the next year’s launch. Stay tuned for more updates on the latest smartphone launches and releases.