Forbes looks into the just released Apple Suppliers list that constitutes 97% of Apple's spend. OmniVision is not listed, while Sony is there. Forbs writes: "The reasonable conclusion is that OmniVision has either lost all of its business to Sony or its business with Apple now is just a shadow of what it used to be".
It was reported earlier that iPhone 4S VGA front camera is Omnivision's. Probably it belongs to the non-listed remaining 3% of Apple’s procurement expenditures.
It's easy to know. The only damage is a one iPhone4S, you just breakk one and you can see immediately which camera sensors are used inside.
ReplyDeleteNo need to sacrifice your iPhone, just read this:
ReplyDeletehttp://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2011/10/chipworks-identifies-sony-sensor-inside.html
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-secondary-vga-camera-is.html
vlad, the story failed to consider the possibility that only general contractors were listed. ov may be a subcontractor to either a general contractor phonemaker(foxconn) or modulemaker(lg innotek). this would mesh with the fact that ov's last 10-k named foxconn as a 10% oem since we know foxconn is apples biggest manufacturing partner.
ReplyDeleteEK
exactly! Appel will not buy sensors alone, they will buy only CCM. But SONY provides many ICs other than CIS chips.
ReplyDeleteOriginally CIS for iPhone has been supplied by OVTI, before iPhone4S was released.
ReplyDeleteThe released supplier's list is for 2011, OVTI should be listed as a supplier of iPhone4 CIS vendor, I felt strange???
I agree with EK. But I am NOT from OV and in fact from one of its top competition. This is what happened when some analyst with MBA from Ivy league schools who has never worked in a semiconductor company tried to justify his $300k salary. Or some editor trying to drum up his circulation numbers.
ReplyDeleteBoth SONY and OVT are camera chips companies. But Apple, HTC etc only buy camera modules. Sony recently created the camera module business too.
ReplyDeleteSo Apple is never a customer of OVT (no PO), but their module vendors.
OVTI $ volume is not enough to hit the list. Cirrus also not listed is known to be the current supplier for audio chips.
ReplyDeleteBTW: no reason to be so openly envious of the MBA salary.
To secure the supply, apple must sign the contract to vendor directly.
ReplyDeleteSo either module house or sensor supplier should under into their supplier list.
From tearing, sony may be the major supplier.
Largan and Genius aren't mentioned in the list either. Surely Apple buys lenses from at least one. That seems to support that only direct suppliers, such as camera module assemblers, are listed. Supply assurance agreements are different from "procurement expenditures".
ReplyDeleteSo, what is Heptagon doing on the list?
ReplyDeletesupply lenses
ReplyDelete