SK Hynix reshuffles CIS team to focus on high-end products

SK Hynix has reshuffled its CMOS image sensor (CIS) team in a bid to shift focus from expanding market share to developing high-end products, TheElec has learned.

Its CIS team was a singular organization prior to the changes, but the company has now created sub-teams that focus on specific functions and features of image sensors.

Overall, the team is now more of a research and development team rather than sales and marketing.

CIS is used widely in smartphones and IT products for its camera features.

Sony’s is the world’s largest producer of the component followed by Samsung.

The pair focuses on high resolution and multi-functions and controls between 70% to 80% of the market together – Sony is the overwhelming leader with around 50% market share.

SK Hynix is a smaller player in the field and in the past had focused on low-end CIS with 20MP or below resolution.

The company has however started to supply its CIS to Samsung in 2021. It provided its 13MP CIS for Samsung’s foldable phones and last year provided 50MP sensors for the Galaxy A series.

Still, the overall demand for CIS has dropped in recent years as smartphones that mainly use them are suffering from a slowdown in demand.

This has been especially poignant for mid-tier phones due to their unit prices dropping in response to low consumer demand.

SK Hynix has been reducing its CIS output in light of this and is also reducing its inventory, the sources said.