How much does a camera cost a smartphone manufacturer? New report shows Omnivision as number 2 in the world.

How much do the cameras in a phone cost the manufacturer? The answer, for the higher-end cameras, is about $8 per module. So, for a typical phone without dual-cameras, about $16. A phone with dual-rear cameras, about $24. And, a phone with dual-rear and dual-front cameras, about $32 per handset.

For the budget China phone market, about half or less than half; figure about $10-15 for the typical China phone with dual-rear and a single front module.

A side note for those who think of Omnivision as a generic budget sensor, take a look at the chart. They are actually the #2 sensor maker in the world and sell over $1 billion annually.

Yole Developpement has just put out their yearly “Camera Module Industry Market and Technology Trends 2017” report. This report includes sensors, modules, and lenses for both smartphones and standalone cameras.

The camera module industry hit $23.4 billion in revenue in 2016 and is projected to hit $46.8 billion in 2022. It also shows that the smartphone market is the main driving force behind the camera industry.

Tailing this is the fact that manufacturers are increasingly needing to adapt to the large production volumes and low-cost needs of smartphone manufacturers. This has forced a reshuffling by manufacturers, moving production from Japan and Korea to China and Vietnam. Corporations such as New Shiko and TDK have reaped the most benefits from the restructuring.

In the markets for sensors and lenses, Sony and Largan dominance are threatened as competition is rapidly gaining competitive tech.

Module makers who lead the pack, such as LG, are more dependent than ever on brand loyalty. Loss of big clients to the up and comers is a real threat.

Interestingly, while higher-end auto-focus and optical image stabilization (OIS) has grown increasingly complex, cost per module has remained more or less constant, which could be a strong reflection of fierce competition.

A side note for those who think of Omnivision as a generic budget sensor, take a look at the chart. They are actually the #2 sensor maker in the world and sell over $1 billion annually.

Camera Modules Industryorganization Yole Group Companies November 2017 GizBeat.com by GizBeat.com on Scribd