Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Sony’s semiconductor capacity constraints will persist until 2025 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 revolutionize smartphone photography and videography, promising enhanced image and video capture.
Additionally, Apple has ambitious plans
for its upcoming iPhone lineup, including two iPhone 15 standard models and
iPhone 16 Pro models, featuring the cutting-edge stacked-designed CIS
technology. Will Semiconductor (Will Semi) is expected to face increased
competition as demand for stacked design CIS grows. With Sony’s tight high-end
CIS capacity driven by iPhone 16’s adoption, Will Semi aims to secure more
orders from Chinese smartphone brands, boosting its market growth.
Despite a decline in 1H23 CIS shipments
due to inventory issues, the company anticipates a remarkable recovery in 2H23,
with projected YoY growth of about 8%. Sony’s limited capacity presents an
opportunity for Will Semi to expand its high-end CIS market share, forecasting
a 35% YoY increase in 2H23 shipments. Looking ahead, 2024 expects 15-20% YoY
total CIS growth and 40-50% YoY high-end CIS growth, indicating significant
sales and profit growth from 2H23 onwards.
With this latest report, we can expect significant
camera improvements in the upcoming iPhone models. Moreover, the overall growth
in the sensor segment is anticipated, driven by increasing demand for stacked
design CIS.
