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Four-camera smartphones account for 20% of global smartphone shipments

This year, each smartphone is equipped with an average of 3.5 lenses. Multi-cam lens assembly shipments will reach 5 billion. Although the new tube epidemic is still raging in many countries around the world, the mobile phone lens industry is still developing rapidly. Analyst Counterpoint Research recently published a report saying that sales of image sensors (CIS) for smartphones have increased eightfold in the past decade, reaching 4.5 billion in 2019 and 5 billion this year.

According to the latest research from Counterpoint, in the first quarter of this year, the penetration rate of four-camera mobile phones reached almost 20% of global smartphone shipments. OPPO, Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung together accounted for nearly 60 million four-camera smartphone shipments 83%. Counterpoint expects the multi-camera trend to continue, and shipments of smartphone CMOS image sensors (CIS) may achieve high single-digit growth in 2020.

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According to Counterpoint’s Component Tracker survey results, each smartphone shipped in the first quarter of this year was equipped with an average of more than 3.5 image sensors. The increase was mainly due to the increase in the popularity of the four-camera design in mid- to high-end smartphones. During this period, it jumped to nearly 20%.

Counterpoint expects that the smartphone industry will continue to develop towards the trend of multi-camera systems. Although affected by the epidemic, its strong growth momentum may be slightly weakened, but the irreversible trend of multi-camera settings and the widespread application of 3D sensing systems, smartphone CIS The market segment is still expected to achieve high single-digit shipment growth in 2020, and shipments are expected to reach a record high of 5 billion units.

Counterpoint pointed out that OPPO, Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung are at the forefront of adopting a four-camera setup. In the first quarter of 2020, the aforementioned manufacturers accounted for 83% of smartphone shipments of four-camera and five-camera.

And it should be noted that this is in the context of the new crown epidemic has a significant impact on the global smartphone industry. The overall mobile phone market is weak, and mobile phone shipments are expected to return to the 2014 shipment level, slightly over 1.3 billion, which is about 10% lower than the same period in 2019.

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Counterpoint pointed out that OPPO, Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung are at the forefront of adopting a four-camera setup. In the first quarter of 2020, the aforementioned manufacturers accounted for 83% of smartphone shipments of four-camera and five-camera.

From a brand perspective, realme is the brand with the most four-camera designs. In the first quarter, nearly two-thirds of its smartphone sales used a rear four-camera system. Next is OPPO, which has more than half of its smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2020. The trend of Xiaomi is higher than the market average, while Samsung and Huawei are still selling a large number of low-end models. In the quarter, smartphone shipments of the rear four-camera system accounted for less than one-third.

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Research Director Tom Kang emphasized: “Since taking pictures has become a key factor in smartphone differentiation, we expect the four-camera function to become the standard of progress. Leading smartphone brands will continue to use diverse lens and sensor combinations The enhanced AI computing power will continue to enrich the enhanced photography and video shooting experience and explore AR applications."

At the same time, new technologies will continue to emerge to reduce costs. For example, Canadian company Immervision, which specializes in wide-angle optics and image processing algorithms, is developing an innovative wide-angle design that can share photosensitive elements with the main camera for panoramic functions.


Post time: Jul-10-2020