Technology, Process and Cost
Apple Vision Pro 3D Cameras Comparison 2024
Apple Vision Pro's 3D Imaging Strategy: Discover and compare the systems by the market leader in consumer 3D Imaging.
SPR24825- Detailed photos
- Precise measurements
- Die analysis
- Package analysis
- Manufacturing process flow
- Supply chain evaluation
- Manufacturing cost analysis
- Physical Comparisons
- Technical Comparisons
- Cost Comparisons
The near- and far-field 3D imaging systems in the Apple Vision Pro
Consumer 3D imaging represents a $4B market in 2022, and is expected to grow 13.2% CAGR for the next 5 years. The market is made up mostly of systems in Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad Pro. Recently, Apple leveraged their experience and supply chain in this domain to enter the augmented reality (AR) market with the Vision Pro.
Depth information provides an additional information modality that helps augmented reality systems understand the 3D environment, and place virtual objects in it in a convincing way. This opens the door to features such as visualizing interior decoration choices, populating a space with virtual characters, or identifying objects.
This comparative report looks at the near- and far-field 3D imaging systems in the Apple Vision Pro. It synthesizes the results of detailed physical, technical, supply chain and costing analyses of the three modules that comprise these systems in order to understand how the needs of near-field and far-field 3D imaging informs the design choices, technical characteristics and manufacturing costs involved.
In the near-field system, where detail and precision is more important, a structured light approach was used. This demanded a high-resolution system with many dots, a large sensing area and complex optics. The importance of baseline distance lead to the separation of the Tx and Rx systems into two separate modules. These and other factors together made the near-field system significantly more costly than the far-field system, which was based on direct time-of-flight imaging. Direct time-of-flight determines depth information from the time domain, not the space domain, and so the simple dot pattern and lower-resolution image sensor in a single module made for a less costly system, even if it relied on a sophisticated 3D-integrated SPAD image sensor.
Overview / Methodology
- Executive Summary
- Reverse Costing Methodology
- Apple & 3D Imaging
- Glossary
Companies, Market & Supply Chain
- Company Profiles
- Players & Market Context
- Supply Chain
Physical Comparison
- Overview
- Key Findings
- Image Sensors
- VCSELs
- Optics
- Drivers
Manufacturing Processes
- Near-Field System
- Global Shutter CIS
- DOE
- VCSEL
- Optics
- Far-Field System
- SPAD CIS
- DOE
- VCSEL
Cost Comparison & Breakdown
- Overview
- Image Sensors
- VCSELs
- Drivers
- DOEe
- Refractive Optics
- Minor BOM & Module Costs
Detailed Physical Analysis
- Near-field System
- Rx Module
- Rx Global Shutter CIS
- Tx Module
- Tx DOE
- Tx VCSEL
- Tx Driver
- Far-field System
- Module
- DOE
- SPAD Image Sensor
- VCSEL
- Driver
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ams-OSRAM, Apple, Broadcom, Coherent, Genius Electronic Optical, IQE PLC, LG Innotek, Lumentum, Sony, STMicroelectronics, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Texas Instruments