Once again, a rumor about Apple’s next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is being circulated that the new handsets will feature an improved LiDAR Scanner supplied by Sony.
In a research note shared with investors this week, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley said Sony could supply at the very least the majority of LiDAR Scanner components for the iPhone 15 Pro models scheduled to debut later this year.
Sony could take a majority, if not all, of the share on the world facing sensor in this years’ models with the company providing a module, VCSEL, receiver and driver. This is a negative headwind to both LITE and COHR which we view as likely.
The analysts’ comments jibe with comments in February from Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said Sony’s time-of-flight VCSEL has lower power consumption than those provided by Apple’s existing suppliers. Reduced power consumption would result in the LiDAR Scanner being more power efficient, which could either contribute to longer battery life or improved performance while consuming the same level of power as on existing iPhones.
An improved LiDAR Scanner could also enhance and enable certain camera features, such as Night mode and autofocus, while also improving augmented reality uses. The LiDAR Scanner was first introduced on iPhone 12 Pro models in 2020. It can measure light distance and capture depth information, and the scanner is expected to remain an exclusive feature of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models.
(Via MacRumors)
