Sony has reached an important milestone in its production adventure, which started in the 1980s as a company that produces image sensors for smartphone cameras. The company announced that it has shipped a total of 20 billion image sensors. In his statement to Nikkei Asia, the company’s president, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi, stated that the most important factor in this great success was the widespread use of mobile devices.
It is noteworthy that the number of shipments, which was 10 billion in 2019, increased to 20 billion in just five years. This rapid increase is directly linked to the fact that multiple cameras have become standard on smartphones. While dual-camera smartphones began to become widespread in the market in 2016 and 2017, today, devices with four cameras have become quite common, from entry-level to flagship models.
Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing has three manufacturing facilities in Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Oita. According to the company’s statement, the facilities in Nagasaki and Oita are focused specifically on developing image processing units (ISPs) for mobile devices. However, the company’s fields of activity are not limited to smartphones only.
Sony aims to integrate image sensors into different areas
Sony aims to integrate image sensors in different areas such as automotive systems, smart factories, smart information and communication technology (ICT) cameras, laser devices and data centers. This diversity enables the company to act with a broader perspective in technology development processes.
The increasing demand for the use of image sensors in areas other than mobile devices gives important signals about the future of the industry. While the automotive industry needs high-quality sensors, especially for autonomous driving systems, smart factories and security systems also attach increasing importance to advanced sensor solutions.
Not only its production capacity but also its investments in innovative technologies play an important role in Sony’s achievement of this success. The company’s ability to respond to demand in different sectors continues to strengthen its competitive position.