CMOS image sensor industry: Sony has ambitions to reclaim its market share

This is the slowest YoY growth in a decade, following the 24.8% in 2019 and 7.3% in 2020. After a bubble caused by CIS stockpiling as a consequence of U.S. sanctions against major China based companies, the market has now stabilised. Full-year 2021 revenues reached US$21.3 billion, thanks to the fourth quarter being the best ever for CIS production.

A new growth cycle is now expected, supported by opportunities in mobile and other markets such as automotive and security imaging. Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group, expects that in the coming years the CIS industry growth will at least match the general semiconductor growth rate, reaching US$31.4 billion by 2027 with a 6.7% CAGR .

In this context, Yole Intelligence announces its annual CIS report: Status of the CMOS Image Sensor industry. This new edition provides an overview of the industry and an understanding of the CMOS image sensor markets. It offers key insights into application and technology trends. Furthermore, it delivers in-depth understanding of the ecosystem. Who are the leading players, and what technologies do they provide? Yole Intelligence offers a deep dive analysis dedicated to the CIS industry.

Florian Domengie, PhD., Senior Technology & Market Analyst at Yole Intelligence, said: “The CIS ecosystem is still dominated by historical leaders. Sony, Samsung, OmniVision, and STMicroelectronics are all strong players in mobile and consumer markets.”

As a consequence of COVID-19 and the US Huawei ban, Sony’s market share faltered in 2021. That allowed its competitors to raise their game and play technology catch up. However, in June 2022, Sony confirmed its ambition to reclaim its market share, aiming at 60% by 2025. This announcement should reinforce production capacity and R&D capex in the coming years.

The Chinese CIS leaders – OmniVision, GalaxyCore, and SmartSens – are in the meantime outperforming competition. They are growing strongly as an immediate consequence of U.S.-China trade tensions, particularly in the mobile market. GalaxyCore is strengthening its fifth position, approaching US$1 billion in revenue.