A new report suggests that the iPhone 18 will get at least one new camera sensor, and this one will be made by Samsung instead of Sony. If true, this would end Sony’s exclusive deal to supply iPhone sensors. The report from Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t provide many details.
Samsung is expected to start shipping 1/2.6-inch 48MP ultra-wide CMOS image sensors (CIS) to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, breaking Sony’s long monopoly on supplying these sensors to Apple. To support this, Samsung has set up a special team just for Apple.
There’s no information about the main and telephoto sensors, which might still be made by Sony. The reasons for this change aren’t clear.
One simple explanation is that Apple likes to use multiple suppliers for its components whenever possible. Samsung’s sensor might just be a direct replacement. This helps Apple avoid production problems and gives it more power to negotiate better prices by playing suppliers against each other. This could be the first step in dividing all camera orders between Samsung and Sony.
