LG Innotek is ramping up the production of new camera modules that will go into Apple’s next-gen iPhones which are expected to be unveiled next month.
According to the industry, LG Innotek’s Optical Solution Business Department hired many short-term workers in the second quarter. According to its business report, number of workers increased from 200 at the end of March to 880 at the end of June. It is likely that these short-time workers were hired for the manufacturing process of camera modules.
LG Innotek supplied its dual-cameras to Apple last year and achieved great result. It made $1.91 billion (2.3132 trillion KRW) and $107 million (129.7 billion KRW) in sales and operating profit respectively in the third quarter and achieved its best third quarter performance in company’s history. Due to its positive performance in the third quarter, its annual sales in 2018, which was $6.59 billion (7.9821 trillion KRW), was its best annual sales ever.
It is heard that LG Innotek is supplying ‘triple-camera modules’ to Apple this year. Although it was heard that LG Innotek was initially responsible for development of TOF (Time-of-Flight) module with 3D sensing ability, it seems that actual application of such module has been postponed. It is predicted that TOF module will be applied to the rear-camera of Apple’s new iPhone in 2020.
MacDailyNews Take: This placeholder year for iPhone ahead of the 5G super cycle next year will be a true test for Apple’s marketing prowess. We can’t wait to see how they execute the marketing for this years’s iPhone models!
It’s no accident that Apple has a slew of new services recently launched and coming online this year (Apple News+, Apple Card, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade) which will be major stories throughout 2020 and beyond that will not only help to sell new iPhones, but also to change the conversation further away from iPhone unit sales during a year in which sales look set up to be lackluster.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Not planning to buy an iPhone in 2019. I don’t need a new camera which seems to be the only real advancement in the iPhone. Now if Apple added split screen on an iPhone I would be the first one in line to buy a new phone