“OmniVision Technologies Inc. slashed its second-quarter revenue forecast on an unexpected cutback in orders, reinforcing fears that the camera sensor maker may have lost a key contract from top customer Apple Inc.,” Himank Sharma and Supantha Mukherjee report for Reuters.
“Shares of the company fell almost 18 percent to $14.81 in morning trade Monday on Nasdaq,” Sharma and Mukherjee report. “They have lost over 30 percent since late August when the company projected weak second-quarter results, sparking fears of share loss at Apple for the first time.”
“OmniVision now sees second-quarter revenue of $212-$217 million, down from its prior view of $255-275 million and lower than analysts’ estimate of $260.4 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S,” Sharma and Mukherjee report. “OmniVision supplies back-lit image sensors that are used in most Apple products, including the iPhone 4, and Motrorola’s Droid series of handsets.”
Sharma and Mukherjee report, “However, several companies, including Sony, have launched similar sensors, and some technology blogs have identified the Japanese company as a supplier for iPhone 4S — the latest iPhone with an upgraded 8 megapixel camera.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
The company hardly missed Apple’s contract entirely. Anandtech review, somehow omitted to be mentioned by MDN, cites multiple cases of iPhone 4S having different sensors.
So while the sensor is primary done by Sony now, OmniVision has similar model, too, and it is used.
However, since the orders are now devided, OmniVision’s revenue falls.
*divided
The Sony boss let slip ages ago that Apple were using their top end camera in the new iPhone, which he thought was amusing.
Well, it’s more amusing that now he’s lost his job, and Sony are lucky indeed to have Apple’s business, since they have been losing money big time…