The industry is responsible for creating tiny cameras is not only growing thanks to mobile phones, all the technological advances and production are having a positive impact on new business that swell the coffers of the companies involved. Sony is leading the roost, we checked it last year, but there are more players in this particular market.
Evolution is constant, a steady pace. Practically we have a new generation of cameras for every season phones, always with technology CMOS in its sensors, and elements and associated circuitry that surprise us with a capacity of unthinkable process in such a small space: stabilization optical and digital recording format video 4K, or ultrafast approaches thanks to hybrid systems.
In short, a technology that provides more than enough for the amateur photographer quality, and allows us to bring a better camera always on top .But as we said before, a lot of these sensors and developments start to give life to the eyes of new cameras in cars, drones, cameras, action, or in the burgeoning virtual reality.
Factories and engineers will spend a few pretty good years, and have been well positioned to face the era of mobile sensors will report much income, and good health for those who knew how to invest. According to reports from specialists in the field as Yole Développement, the market for CMOS sensors will be a very lucrative business: in the next five years are going to move 18,800 million.
Currently is Sony which has the largest market share, controlling 35%. The Japanese company has seen its sales have increased by 31%, from entering from 2800-3600 billion from one year to another.
Other big names in the industry are quite notorious, like Samsung or Omnivision, but there are other players with lower fee, but well placed to grow if it goes well the thing: On Semiconductor, Canon, Toshiba, and Panasonic. The Korean company is the only one who coughs Sony, with 19% share.
Making a quick review of these names, commenting that the fastest growing are SK Hynix, Panasonic and On Semiconductor, mainly by offering cameras that recognize faces in different areas. Samsung, or Toshiba Omnivision – now Sony – have not experienced growth, while companies like STMicroelectronics and Canon, have fallen in revenue. The overall market grew by 12% from 2014 to 2015: 6.700 million.
Multiple cameras per phone
Focusing on mobile sensors CMOS, the other breakthrough we have experienced in recent years is the backlight called sensors (BSI), is that the weak point of these developments is clearly located in working with situations complicated light.
In addition, optical sensors are very small and cannot do miracles. Yes, it is surprising to see as improved image stabilization, able to focus, and the quality of the video that are capable of recording. Many of the limitations seem to pass through a medium-term solution: double the number of cameras.
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The big jump for suppliers of mobile sensors could say that came with the need for better cameras on the front, so each phone would have to offer at least two solutions. Currently we live in a time when there configurations with multiple cameras in one area of the phone, we can even expect that this will become more important with cameras that record depth, a phenomenon the Tango style.
Cars, drones, virtual reality
Stopping at the automotive market, commenting that the same factories that create sensors for your phone, they also develop the vehicles they need to see or for us to see when parked. Sales increased by 23% in 2015, achieving amass 537 million, not much compared to the mobile world, but it is constantly growing (grew by 23% compared to 2014).
The same technology CMOS, but adapted goes to the world of drones, which practically not be understood without an onboard camera. Each time more sophisticated, also they have their place within the new helmets virtual / augmented reality, and it takes someone record the information environment to be worked digitally and create a better experience.