iPhone camera module supplier Largan Precision saw its stock take a significant dip yesterday amid rumors that Apple will not be upgrading the resolution of the rear camera for the iPhone 6 later this year, reports The China Post.
The report cites analysts from Nomura Securities who indicate that while the iPhone 6 should see some camera improvements such as enhanced optical image stabilization, the device will continue to use an 8-megapixel sensor rather than a higher-resolution sensor in the 12-16 megapixel range.
According to Nomura Securities, Largan's recently lagging performance in the market is caused by rumors that Apple may adopt an 8 mega-pixel (MP) camera with improved optical image stabilization on its upcoming handset, instead of the 16 MP upgrade anticipated by industry observers. Apple's decision is based on the design requirement to retain the handset's more portable form factor, said Nomura Securities. [...]
Largan retains a leading edge among competing suppliers, as even though the camera's pixel count remains the same, the company is among the few companies capable of coping with the complexity of the camera module, said Nomura Securities. The production of smaller-factored camera modules would require significantly improved optical aperture and resolution attributes, which are the company's competitive strengths, said Nomura Securities.
Apple first introduced an 8-megapixel rear camera on the iPhone 4s back in 2011 and used similar modules for the iPhone 5 in 2012 and iPhone 5c last year. Apple's 2013 flagship iPhone 5s model continues to use an 8-megapixel sensor, but achieves significant camera improvements through increased pixel size, a larger aperture, new "True Tone" dual LED flash, software enhancements, and more.
