Smartphone Camera Module & CIS Comparison 2024, Vol. 1: iPhone Evolution

Overview / Methodology

• Executive Summary
• Reverse Costing Methodology
• Glossary

Companies & Supply Chain

• Apple
• Sony
• LG Innotek
• Players & Market Context
• Supply Chain

Physical Comparison & Evolution

• Camera Overviews
• Physical Comparison
• Overview of the Physical Analysis
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max

Manufacturing Processes

• Camera Module Structure
  • Module Structure
  • IR-Cut Filter
  • Sensor-shift OIS
• CMOS Image Sensor Structure
• Sony CMOS Image Sensor Manufacturing Processes
  • Fabs
  • Pixel & Logic Circuits
  • Cu-Cu Hybrid Bonding
  • Optical Layers

Cost Comparison & Breakdown

• CMOS Image Sensor Costs
  • Overview
  • Front CIS Front-End Costs
  • Front CIS Die Costs
  • Rear CIS Front-End Costs
  • Rear CIS Die Costs
  • Rear CIS Die Comparison
• Camera Module Costs
  • Front Camera Module Costs
  • Rear Camera Module Costs
  • Rear Camera Modules Cost Breakdown & Comparison
• Camera Costs & Prices

Detailed Physical Analysis

• Front Cameras
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhones 11-13 Pro Max
• Rear Cameras
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max

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About Yole Group

4 years’ evolution of the ultra-premium iPhone Cameras

The iPhone series has positioned Apple as a reliable market leader in smartphones, and the latest generation, the iPhone 15, accounted for a quarter of all smartphones sold in 4Q23. iPhone cameras are consistently ranked among the best in the industry, relying on both incremental improvements and groundbreaking innovations.

Continuing our series of camera module (CM) and CMOS image sensor (CIS) comparison reports, we summarize the results of detailed physical and costing analyses to offer insight into the evolution of iPhone photography and selfie cameras.  We present a synthesis of physical analysis for the last 9 years of ultra-premium iPhone cameras and detailed physical and costing analysis of the cameras in the iPhones 12 – 15 Pro Max.

Our analysis covers both front and rear photography CMs.  This includes the complete structure, design, and teardown of each CM, and the dimensions, technology node, and manufacturing processes of the CIS. The 3D sensing modules have been covered in previous reports.*

The iPhone series has generally followed the market trend of incrementally increasing rear CM quantity, lens count, and CIS size. Since the iPhone 11 Pro Max, they’ve retained a triple rear camera configuration, which the 12 Pro Max enhanced by adding an innovative sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) and 7P lens system. The iPhone 13 Pro Max kept this configuration but made several significant upgrades such as an enormous 1.9-µm pixel size in the main CIS and the addition of autofocus and a 6th lens in the ultra-wide module. The 14 Pro Max drastically increased the CIS size in the main and ultra-wide modules, using for the first time in the series a CIS with 48 Mp.  It uses a quad Bayer color filter pattern that allows it to operate in a 4-pixel binning mode with an effective resolution of 12 Mp and impressive effective pixel size of 2.44 µm.  The large CIS is moved by a 2nd-generation sensor-shift OIS system with a dual OIS/AF driver configuration.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has largely retained the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s camera, but has notably upgraded the optical zoom from 3X to 5X by using an innovative periscope module.  This module is very costly and employs a 4-bounce glass tetraprism and XYZ sensor-shift voice coil motor to implement both OIS and AF.

*These systems are covered in detail in the reports SP20557 (1st-gen LiDAR), SP17379 (1st-gen dot projector), SP18383 (1st-gen flood illuminator), SPR21576 (1.5th-gen flood illuminator), SPR23749 (2nd-gen Face ID system in the iPhones 13 & 14), SPR23721 (under-display proximity sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro), SPR23799 (3rd-gen Face ID system in the iPhone 15) and SPR23791 (2nd-gen LiDAR in the iPhone 15 Pro).

Alps Alpine, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), Apple,  Cirrus Logic, Cowell, Foxconn, Genius Electronic Optical, Jahwa, Kantatsu, Largan, LG Innotek, Mitsumi Electric, Sharp, Sony, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, and more.

Key Features

• Detailed photos
• Precise measurements
• Module cross-sections
• Sensor cross-sections
• Sensor measurements
• Manufacturing process flow
• Supply chain evaluation
• Manufacturing cost analysis
• Physical comparisons
• Cost and price comparison

What's New?

iPhone 15 Pro Max

• Mostly retained the cameras from the 14 Pro Max, but with a novel Periscope module. The Periscope is the first folded optic from LG Innotek and uses a 5-bounce tetraprism and the new IMX913 CIS.

Product Objectives

• Continuing our series of camera module (CM) and CMOS image sensor (CIS) comparison reports, we summarize the results of detailed physical and costing analyses to offer insight into the evolution of iPhone photography and selfie cameras. We present a synthesis of physical analysis for the last 9 years of ultra-premium iPhone cameras and detailed physical and costing analysis of the cameras in the iPhones 12 – 15 Pro Max.