Vietnam camera supplier added for M5 MacBook Pro

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple is turning to Vietnam-based Sunny Optical to manufacture the cameras for its M5 version of the MacBook Pro in 2025.

The claim that Sunny Optical will provide Compact Camera Modules (CCM) for the M5 MacBook Pro in 2025, appears to at least partly back up previous assumptions that the device won't be released in 2024. It's still not certain, however, as Ming-Chi Kuo's tweet and accompanying blog vary over whether Sunny Optical is the sole CCM supplier, or just an extra one.

In his full blog, Kuo says that Sunny Optical is unique in Apple's supply chain. For as well as producing CCMs, it can at the same time manufacture lenses to be used with it.

Sunny Optical did become the main lens supplier for the iPhone 14 in 2022, according to Kuo. However, he also says that the firm then lost orders following production problems.

Kuo predicts that if the firm's CCMs for the MacBook Pro avoid similar problems, Sunny Optical could see it regaining iPhone orders.

"[My] latest survey indicates that starting from 2H24, iPhone orders will gradually return to Sunny Optical," he wrote. "This is due to Sunny Optical's continuous production improvement and communication with Apple."

If this is correct, it means that the Vietnam-based company will become an increasingly significant supplier for the iPhone 17 range. It's also part of Apple's continuing build up of manufacturing in Vietnam, which is one country that has benefited from the company looking to reduce its over-reliance on China.