Apple may never like to rely on just one supplier, but when it comes to camera sensors, it has no choice but to continue to source from Sony, and its latest iPhone 16 series also uses parts from the Japanese manufacturer. However, this exclusive partnership may be coming to an end as Samsung, which supplies OLED panels for various Apple products, may enter the Cupertino company's camera supply chain.
A source revealed that the manufacturer is developing a three-layer stacked sensor that is said to be better than Sony's ExmorRS series.
Famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously mentioned that Samsung will begin to provide Apple with the iPhone 18 with a 48-megapixel sensor, which is likely to be launched in two years. The first rumor claims that Sony's monopoly will end in July 2024, and the second rumor comes from tipster @Jukanlosreve, who said on X that Samsung is developing a three-layer stacked sensor in a PD-TR-Logic configuration for Apple. Stacked camera sensors have processing chips on the back, and the term "3-layer" means there are a total of three chips stacked on top of each other in a sandwich format.
The benefit of adding stacked camera sensors to the iPhone is that the pixel values travel a much shorter distance, thus reducing processing speed. Stacked sensors are an ideal upgrade for smartphones because most users won’t wait in a fixed position for several seconds to capture a memorable moment; they’d rather whip out their device and capture it immediately.
The tipster mentioned that Samsung’s unnamed three-layer stacked sensor is more advanced than Sony’s ExmorRS series, assuming this technology debuts on the iPhone 18 series.
As mentioned, the Korean giant is developing the sensor in a "PD-TR-Logic configuration", which may be some kind of advanced packaging, but the rumor does not reveal any details. It is said that while Samsung is developing sensors for Apple, it is also mass-producing 500-megapixel cameras for its future Galaxy flagship series, which is also said to be a three-layer stacked version. While the latest rumors suggest Sony won't be Apple's sole supplier in the coming years, that leaves us with more questions than answers, starting with which iPhone Samsung's sensors will feature on. I’m sure you have some questions too, please share them with us in the comments below.