Sony will be the exclusive supplier of LiDAR Scanner components for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, says information shared earlier today by well-connected Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. If Sony does take over as the exclusive supplier of the component, they will be replacing Lumentum and WIN Semi.
In a series of tweets from earlier today, today, Kuo said Sony’s time-of-flight VCSEL has lower power consumption than those provided by Apple’s existing suppliers. Reduced power consumption would result in the LiDAR Scanner being more power efficient, which could either contribute to longer battery life or improved performance while consuming the same level of power as on existing iPhones.
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Sony will replace Lumentum (design) / Win Semi (production) as the exclusive ToF VCSEL supplier for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Lumentum/Win Semi will face long-term structural risks in the VCSEL market.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) February 24, 2023
An improved LiDAR Scanner could also enhance and enable certain camera features, such as Night mode and autofocus, while also improving augmented reality uses. The LiDAR Scanner was first introduced on iPhone 12 Pro models in 2020. It can measure light distance and capture depth information, and the scanner is expected to remain an exclusive feature of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models.
(Via MacRumors)
