The details keep coming together for Apple’s next-generation smartphone. The device that is set to sell over 100 million units is certainly one of the most popular topics for tech blogs for several reasons. Apple products in general tend to garner more attention; both for their secrecy, and their history of changing the industry.
It’s hard to separate rumors from facts. To be honest, until somebody like a Steve Jobs or a Tim Cook makes the announcement, nothing should be considered fact. It gets even tougher to tell the difference when you have major corporations dishing out the gossip.
9to5 Mac is reporting that Sony’s CEO, Howard Stringer, just dropped a major bombshell during an interview with Walt Mossberg yesterday…
Whether it was an intentional leak or a freudian slip, Stringer definitely confirmed that Sony was indeed providing camera sensors to Apple for their products. This would fall in line with previous reports that the two companies would become an unlikely pair in future Apple products.
The WSJ reported almost a year ago that they had heard word from manufacturing sources that Sony would be building 8MP sensors for the iPhone 5.
With the iPhone 5 not even announced yet, WSJ’s claims fell on deaf ears. Everyone seemed to be listening yesterday as Howard Stringer spilled the beans on Sony’s involvement with the iPhone 5. The CEO stated that their best sensor technology was built in a factory that was affected by the tsunami, and that the sensors were to go to Apple for their iPhones and iPads.
Sony doesn’t currently make any camera sensors for Apple. But if you recall earlier this year, we reported that current iDevice sensor producer, OmniVision, suffered financial losses in wake of rumors that they had lost the bid for Apple’s next version of its iPhone. It was suspected that OmniVision wouldn’t have enough supplies to fulfill Apple’s request and that it would delay production (define irony).
The sensor facility Stringer was referring to is in Sendai, the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. They suffered some of the most damage during last month’s tragic events, you’ve probably seen the Sendai Airport on YouTube getting engulfed in a tsunami wave. Could a delay in camera sensors be one of the reasons behind a delayed iPhone 5 announcement?
It’s possible. Of course this is all still speculation at this point, but with big names like The Wall Street Journal chiming in, it’s hard not to get excited. Who wouldn’t want Sony’s cutting edge 8MP sensor in the next iPhone?
Would you?