Yole on Smartphone Front Camera Market

Yole Developpement publishes its analysis of MWC 2019 smartphone camera announcements "Is the smartphone full display trend taking over from front selfie cameras and biometric 3D sensing?"

"There are obviously two main trends conflicting right now: one favors sensing on the front display side of smartphones; the other favors display.

The display strategy is driven by a ‘wow effect’, by increasing screen-to-body ratio, showing immersive videos that are one of the drivers of 5G adoption. The foldable trend is also an extension of this, and may end up in a compromise between a smartphone and a tablet. It is not clear right now if this could convert into additional revenues or volume for the industry, knowing what we know about smartphones and tablets.

The sensing strategy is using 3D as a biometric interface, where biometry and Human Machine Interface (HMI) are combined. This one conflicts with the full display aesthetic and is constrained by handset design and camera and display technologies. Apple is actively working on the ideal technical solution, which should reach the market before the year’s end."