Image Sensors World: July 2021

At the current stage, 3D cameras on smartphones are used mostly in static conditions (e.g. facial recognition) and do not require a high frame rate, so structured light is the better choice for smartphone manufacturers. The cost of a structured light equipment is approximately US$20. PrimeSense, a 3D sensor company, for US$350m-$360m in 2013. PrimeSense is one of the major structured light players, and it provided research and related support for the development of Microsoft’s Kinect. As a result, we believe there is a strong possibility the new iPhone will use structured light, and Android smartphone companies will closely follow this trend. In Q4 2016, 432m smartphones were sold globally, of which 352m ran Android (81.7%) and 77m ran iOS (17.9%).  learn more  believe the increasing application of 3D sensing technology in Android smartphones will further boost the growth of the 3D camera industry. 360 degree fisheye panoramic camera: Huawei cooperated with Insta360 to announce the Honor VR 360-degree camera in February 2017, which allows users to take high-resolution 360-degree videos and photos. The VR camera has two 210-degree fisheye cameras, offering a seamless livestreaming experience.