Roger Fingas
Because of production problems, Sony is behind schedule in producing dual-lens camera modules for Apple, which may turn to LG to provide the majority of initial modules for this year's 5.5-inch "Plus" iPhone, a research analyst claimed on Friday.
Sony may not be able to meet its target quota because of "lower-than-expected" yields, plus damage to a production facility caused by April's earthquake in Kumamoto, said Nomura Securities' Chris Chang in a memo cited by Barron's. As a result, another regular Apple supplier — LG Innotek — could claim the majority of Apple's first-wave orders, he said.
Chang additionally suggested that all of Apple's upcoming 5.5-inch iPhones will use dual-lens cameras, and that people buying regular 4.7-inch models won't be left out in the cold. Those phones will come equipped with optical image stabilization, something previously reserved for "Plus" devices, the analyst predicted.
Optical image stabilization, or OIS, is a marked improvement over software stabilization, and can significantly reduce the blurriness of images shot in action or low-light conditions.
Suppliers are reportedly gearing up to ship the "iPhone 7" and "7 Plus" by the end of September, in keeping with Apple's usual iPhone launch schedule. The camera situation could potentially throw a monkey wrench in those plans, causing a delay or hampering launch inventories.
On top of a dual-lens camera, the "7 Plus" might also upgrade to an "A10" processor, 3 gigabytes of RAM, and a Smart Connector.
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18 Comments
On a more concerning note the Financial Times had an article about a earthquake risk on Japan's Nankai Trough which has the potential for an 8.0 to 9.0!!! Richter Scale earthquake and 30m Tsunami waves immediately upon the earthquake. It would devestate the heart of Japanese industrial activity and worse the government anticipates 332,000 deaths.
The Nankai trough triggers a large earthquake every 100-150 years. It has been quiet for 158 years.
The article is retired reading for the Japanese their friends which includes all members of the Apple religion.
The article was in the paper edition dated 18 May 2016. Sorry I read it old school and do not know the URL. And sorry, the AI app did not let me edit the post. Hence the second post.
Nonsense> "lower-than-expected" yields a term that gets thrown about every year at this time.
https://ig.ft.com/sites/japan-tsunami/
sorry i am becoming sog-like (no offense sog)
Last year there was a side-by-side VIDEO of a person walking through an area (ship?) with and without OIS. It was very compelling: the OIS video was very smooth, whereas the non-OIS video was very bumpy.
Much of the discussion for OIS focuses on photos, but I think there's an even bigger impact on videos.