Last Updated on 08/31/2013 by Felix Esser
You’d think Sony would enjoy most of its success with televisions and cameras, but you’d be wrong. One of its largest, most successful businesses is the image sensor for mobile devices. Roughly 80% of its image sensors, according to a spokesman for Sony, are sold to other companies, most notably Samsung and Apple, not that Sony’d tell you that. The bulk of its profits from last quarter in its device division came from sales of its sensors. While Sony’s Xperia line has been well received, it hasn’t gained enough ground to even touch Samsung and Apple, but it’s already a part of the best-selling phones thanks to years of R+D in image sensors. Tear-downs of some popular phones show that the chips are used in the iPhone 5, 4S, and Galaxy S4. Now, it controls a third of the image sensor market.
