Sony, OmniVision rumored to be producing 8MP camera on iPhone 5
OmniVision has been attached to producing camera image sensors for Apple's iOS devices for years, but now Sony is rumored to be in the mix.
About 90% of the CIS orders for Apple's new iPhone will be supplied by OmniVision, while Sony takes up the remainder, the sources said. The upcoming device will feature a built-in 8-megapixel camera, the sources added.
This sounds a bit unusual that Apple would drop OmniVision for the complete order and then bring in a handful from Sony. Does OmniVision simply not have enough resources to fulfill the order? Although there have been many stories back and forth about Sony's rumored involvement at all.
However, it would be nice (and about time) to see an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor on the rear-facing camera on the iPhone. That level of image quality is already available on dozens of other smartphones, but Apple has been a bit slow when it comes to upgrading the cameras. It took four models just to get to 5-megapixels.
The keynote at WWDC, where iPhones have been announced in the past, has come and gone now. So it is likely that Apple is sticking to the theory that a new iPhone won't be announced until fall, and it's doubtful the Cupertino-based company would reveal or confirm anything before then.
Related coverage on ZDNet:
- Apple rumored to have sourced dual cameras for 2nd-gen iPad
- iPhone 3.0: Camera features rumor round-up
- OmniVision unveils 'first' native image sensor for simultaneous 1080p HD recording, 10MP stills
- OmniVision debuts high-end OV7727 VGA camera for ultra-thin laptops
- OmniVision debuts 'world's smallest' 1080p HD camera module