In a recent tweet and a rare confirmation, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirms that the iPhone has been using image sensors made by Sony for over a decade. Although it is not a secret that the Cupertino company uses Japanese image sensors as seen through various teardowns, it is only recently that a component manufacturer has been labeled.
Normally, specifications of any iPhone product will include the resolution of its camera, its aperture, as well as other information. Most of the information though is generic – without any details as to who made the key component. However, with the recent tweet from the Apple head honcho, it is now confirmed that the image sensor component of the iPhone comes from Sony.
The tweet says:
“We’ve been partnering with Sony for over a decade to create the world’s leading camera sensors for iPhone. Thanks to Ken and everyone on the team for showing me around the cutting-edge facility in Kumamoto today.”
Apple has always put such details or information about their product’s components though locks and keys, but since it is the CEO himself who has divulged the information, who in the Cupertino facility can even question him? Based on Tim Cook’s recent visit to the Kumamoto facility, we can speculate that their partnership with Sony will continue on with the next models of iPhone.
There have been reports that claim Sony has developed a new architecture for its image sensor that allows it to capture more light. If this is the case, it would mean that the new sensor technology can help generate better images even under low light, better than what is current with today’s sensor technology. This new sensor may likely find its way into the iPhone 15.