According to industry publication DigiTimes, we should expect demand for CMOS image sensors, particularly high-end units, to increase in the short and medium term. This is mainly due to the increased popularity of dual-camera modules in high-end smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, LG G5 or Huawei P9, and growing demand for imaging applications in the automotive and security industries.
Approximately 70% of all available sensors currently go into mobile devices which remains the largest application. With dual-cameras slowly but surely becoming standard even on lower-end devices the demand from this sector is expected to grow further.
Demand from those sectors is putting more pressure on already tight CMOS sensor supplies. Of course, that is good news for those camera manufacturers that are also in the sensor business and increased demand should mean more research and development and therefore better products in the long run.
(Photo: 'Image Sensor' by Bengt Nyman / Wikimedia Commons. Used under CC license)
. dpreview.com2017-1-19 21:29