Samsung may unseat Sony as the iPhone camera sensor maker

Summary

• Sony’s high-end camera sensors power Apple iPhones, but Samsung may take over in 2026.
• Apple’s long partnership with Sony for iPhone camera sensors may face competition from Samsung.
• Despite being rivals, Apple and Samsung collaborate on various components, showcasing a unique partnership.

While Sony smartphones might not be among the best-selling Android devices in the market, the company has a solid reputation for providing high-end camera sensors to some of the biggest brands in the industry, including Apple and Google. The partnership between Sony and Apple for iPhone camera sensors dates back over a decade, demonstrating Apple’s trust in Sony’s products. However, Samsung may soon put an end to this long-term partnership.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that Apple may turn to Samsung for iPhone camera sensors in 2026 (via The Verge). As Kuo says, Samsung will provide Apple with 1/2.6-inch 48MP ultra-wide CMOS image sensors (CIS) for iPhones shipped in 2026, with the Korean OEM even establishing a dedicated team to work on Apple orders.

Apple explores a Samsung partnership for iPhone camera sensors

The Sony IMX-803 image sensor currently powers the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max cameras. Ming-Chi Kuo didn’t mention what company will make the secondary or tertiary camera sensors for 2026 iPhones or whether Apple plans to entirely ditch Sony from the iPhone supply chain. Given the ten-year partnership between Apple and Sony, doing so seems very unlikely.

In an interview with PetaPixel in 2020, Apple camera VP Jon McCormack said the company’s goal is to make iPhones capable of taking “true-to-life” shots using machine learning to break down a scene into more easily understood pieces. This involves special software processing to leave Apple’s signature on taken images. Nevertheless, even if Samsung could replace Sony as an iPhone camera sensor provider, it doesn’t necessarily mean the shots taken with iPhones will resemble shots taken with a Galaxy device.

Despite being rivals in the smartphone market, Apple and Samsung have a long history of cooperating. The Korean OEM currently supplies OLED panels for all iPhone 15‌ models. Even the latest rumors suggest that iPhone 16 Pro models could benefit from an “M14” OLED display panel made by Samsung. Samsung’s increasing presence in Apple products, be it for camera sensors or OLED panels, could further solidify the partnership between two big rivals in the tech industry.