Apple Analyst Predicts Sony’s Semiconductor Constraints Until 2025, Stacked CIS in iPhone 15 and 16 Pro Models to Revolutionize Smartphone Photography
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated that Sony’s semiconductor capacity constraints will persist until 2025, primarily due to the adoption of stacked design CIS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensor) in the upcoming iPhone models. This advanced technology is expected to bring a revolution in smartphone photography and videography, promising significant improvements in image and video capture capabilities.
Apple has ambitious plans for its upcoming iPhone lineup, with two standard iPhone 15 models and iPhone 16 Pro models set to feature the cutting-edge stacked-designed CIS technology.
As Sony’s high-end CIS capacity remains tight due to the adoption of the stacked design by the iPhone 16, Will Semiconductor (Will Semi) is expected to face increased competition. Will Semi aims to secure more orders from Chinese smartphone brands, thereby boosting its market growth.
Despite a decline in CIS shipments during the first half of 2023 due to inventory issues, Will Semi anticipates a remarkable recovery in the second half of 2023, with projected year-on-year (YoY) growth of approximately 8%.
The limited capacity of Sony presents an opportunity for Will Semi to expand its market share in the high-end CIS segment, with a forecasted 35% YoY increase in shipments during the second half of 2023. Looking ahead, the company expects a total CIS growth of 15-20% YoY and high-end CIS growth of 40-50% YoY in 2024, indicating significant sales and profit growth from the second half of 2023 onwards.
With this latest report, we can expect significant camera improvements in the upcoming iPhone models. Moreover, the sensor segment is poised for overall growth, driven by the increasing demand for stacked design CIS.
