Sam OliverCiting industry sources, Taiwanese publication DigiTimes said OmniVision, the supplier of CMOS image sensors for the iPhone, expects to see demand for its sensors in iPhones grow exponentially — as high as 45 million. The report also said that OmniVision is set to supply a 5-megapixel camera for the next-generation iPhone, due to arrive in the second half of 2010.
In April, it was revealed that OmniVision was selected to provide the 3.2-megapixel sensor for the then-forthcoming iPhone 3GS. The supplier beat out Aptina, which provided the 2-megapixel camera used in the previous iPhone 3G.
OmniVision is expected to ship about 65 million total units to Apple in 2009, when the addition of iPods is included. The company also reportedly makes the sensor used for the 0.3-megapixel video camera in the latest iPod nano.
The company was also rumored to supply a camera for the latest iPod touch, though the part was eventually not included due to alleged hardware issues. Sources have told AppleInsider that a camera-equipped iPod touch remains in the plans for Apple's future products.
Evidence for plans of a camera in the iPod touch was bolstered by third-party cases with camera holes and even photos and video of an alleged prototype of the hardware. After it was released and taken apart, it was discovered that the new hardware includes space for an iPod nano-style video camera inside.
It should be noted that in August, DigiTimes also incorrectly reported that the iPod classic would receive a camera upgrade.
OmniVision is expected to ramp up its production of sensors beginning in the first quarter of 2010. The company was profitable last quarter for the first time in over a year, earning $8.1 million. Last year, the company lost $5.3 million in the same frame.
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29 Comments
So wait for the upgrade to 5MP before buying, fine with me.
After all if your going to take a picture, might as well take one that one can make decent 8 x 10 prints of.
I often see many good picture potentials, but don't always carry my camera, but one nearly always carries their cell phone.
Of course there is a problem with zoom with the iPhone...but with 5MP, you really can only zoom a little bit, just to crop out. Too much and too far, your picture gets distorted.
Heck anything is better than 2MP though.
Who cares about pixels. How about a sensor that does a decent job in low-light situations? I'm tired of being at clubs and watch everyone else take nice pictures with their cell phones and all I can get is dark blurry faces...
Who cares about pixels. How about a sensor that does a decent job in low-light situations? I'm tired of being at clubs and watch everyone else take nice pictures with their cell phones and all I can get is dark blurry faces...
Agreed. People are so taken in by the megapixels hype without considering the quality of the actual hardware and optics.
Duncare. Getting it all as a bonus next summer. He-he, 3GSees, loving AT&T?
It's not really important for me if it's 3, 5 or 12 megapixels.
What is important is to put in some optics that works much better than what Omnivision have delivered so far.
My old Sony Ericsson 2MP camera takes better pictures than my Iphone 3GS... which sucks so bad.