The iPhone 16 launch is expected in the coming months and details about its various components have recently surfaced online. According to recent reports, the Cupertino tech company could use Samsung’s new CMOS image sensor in its upcoming smartphone models. This sensor is designed to have a 3-wafer design, which is superior to the iPhone 15 series sensor. If this claim is true, Samsung could become Apple’s second camera sensor supplier alongside Sony.
iPhone 16 may come with a Samsung CMOS image sensor
Elec reports that Apple is conducting a final quality assessment of a new CMOS image sensor (CIS) from Samsung. Sony’s possible switch to Samsung is said to be due to delays the Cupertino-based tech giant faced last year in the delivery of image sensors, which resulted in it being difficult to set a release date for the iPhone 15.
According to the report, Apple wants to follow the advances of its competitors and integrate new technologies into its camera systems to increase pixel density and reduce pixel size by isolating the sensor’s internal components and potentially reducing noise.
Apple has reportedly hired Samsung to develop a CMOS sensor for the iPhone and is currently conducting quality testing. The sensor is reportedly a three-wafer stacked design, with each wafer having a different element.
On the other hand, previous iPhone models featured sensors in a two-wafer stack design with transistors and photodiodes on the same wafer. The publication states that Samsung’s sensor may feature wafers bonded across copper pads using a process called hybrid wafer-to-wafer bonding.
The iPhone 16 Pro has improved ultra-wide features
The iPhone 16 Pro model is also said to feature a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, which is a significant improvement over the existing 12-megapixel sensor. Additionally, iPhone 16 Pro introduces the Tetra Prism lens, first introduced on iPhone 15 Pro Max, enabling support for 5x optical zoom using the telephoto camera.
Apple is also rumored to be introducing a new optical anti-reflective coating technology called Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for its cameras. However, it is unclear whether this applies to the iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, or both devices.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
