Apple may be planning to equip all iPhone 15 models with the same 48-megapixel camera found on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
This latest iPhone 15 rumor comes from ITHome, and was included in a report on Sony’s engaging with TSMC for color filter films, due to insufficient production capacity in the back end of its own image sensors. Sony has reached out to TSMC to augment its capacity for color filter film for its camera units, among other possibilities.
The report says Apple’s plans for the iPhone 15 lineup is one of the reasons that Sony is feeling pressure over Apple’s upcoming needs. The rumor says Apple is going to do a “full upgrade” to the 48MP camera setup on the full iPhone 15 range, rather than limiting them to just the Pro-branded models.
Apple’s alleged plans have increased its demand for the hardware, straining Sony’s resources. The report says Sony could be planning to expand its back-end process more in the near future, following orders to other companies like TSMC last year.
The camera setup, which is moving from a double layer to a triple layer, is more complex, increasing Sony’s manufacturing concerns. Sony’s current CMOS sensors rely on stacking photodiodes and amplifier circuits.
Sony camera sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratios benefit from this manufacturing process, resulting in photos featuring less image noise.
The report says TSMC will handle manufacturing elements like the photodiodes and logic layers. Sony will also rely on companies like Tongxin Electronics and Caiyu for back-end manufacturing.
(Via AppleInsider)
