iPhone 18 series could be the first Apple phones to use camera sensors made by Samsung.
Samsung debuted its 200-megapixel sensor with the Galaxy S23 series
Photo Credit: Samsung
Samsung is known for producing a variety of smartphone camera sensors with the brand said to use its 200-megapixel camera in the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, a new leak now suggests that the South Korean company might up the ante with a new 500-megapixel sensor. Additionally, Samsung is said to be preparing a three-layer image stacked sensor for iPhone. Samsung's purported three-layer stacked sensor is rumoured to be more advanced than Sony Exmor RS image sensors that are currently used on Apple's iPhone models.
Tipster Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) on X claimed that Samsung is developing a 500-megapixel camera sensor for Galaxy devices. The company is simultaneously working on a three-layer stacked image sensor in a PD-TR-Logic configuration for Apple. The iPhone 18 series, expected to launch in 2026, could be the first Apple phone to use camera sensors manufactured by Samsung.
Currently, Sony is Apple's primary supplier of CMOS image sensors (CIS). However, the tipster suggests that Samsung's three-layer stacked sensor is more advanced than the Sony Exmor RS image sensors currently used on the iPhone. It is likely to be used for the main camera.
In July, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple will replace Sony sensors with ones made by Samsung in future iPhone models. The iPhone 18 series, which is expected to go official in 2026, is rumoured to pack the new 48-megapixel sensor made by Samsung. It is believed to be a 1/2.6-inch sensor.
The iPhone 18 series is also expected to be the first lineup of Apple smartphones to incorporate variable aperture on its main camera. The lineup is said to run on Apple A20 chipset, built based on TSMC's next-generation costly 2-nanometer process. This year's iPhone 17 Pro models are said to get an A19 Pro chip under the hood, while the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air could run on an A18 or A19 chip.
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