“Sony has entered negotiations with Apple to double its supply of camera components for a new iPhone slated to roll out as early as next year, taking another step in its pivot toward the mobile and imaging fields,” Nikkei reports. ” The Japanese firm already supplies nearly all of the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensors for the current iPhone models’ rear-mounted main cameras. Apple is likely looking to switch to Sony sensors for the secondary camera on the screen side, used for taking self-portraits. The American smartphone maker apparently uses parts from suppliers in the U.S. and elsewhere for the front camera.”
“Sony does not disclose information about who buys its CMOS sensors, but it likely supplies Apple with more than 100 million units a year, with the bulk destined for iPhones. If the release of Apple’s new products goes well, this figure could double to more than 200 million units in a year or two,” Nikkei reports. “A request from Apple was the reason for its January decision to purchase a plant from Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics, according to a source involved in the negotiations. Sony plans to invest 35 billion yen in the facility to boost its monthly production capacity by 25%.”
“The company has announced plans to sell its computer business and spin off its TV segment. President and Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai pledged to bring the electronics business back into the black this fiscal year — a goal that has not yet been reached,” Nikkei reports. “Sony hopes to use the imaging and mobile businesses to revive the electronics business.”
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