Apple's Baseline iPhone 15 Poised to Sport a 48-Megapixel Camera

As Apple readies the stage for its next-generation smartphone, the iPhone 15, it is set to democratise the 48-megapixel camera system by extending it to the base models. This marks a strategic departure from the past, as this same camera module was previously exclusive to the top-tier iPhone 14 Pro. Sony, Apple's camera sensor supplier, is being rallied to ramp up production of the 48-megapixel camera unit in response to this ambition.

Striving to meet Apple's heightened demand, Sony has sought out a collaborative partnership with TSMC. This has seen Sony step up its order of colour filter films from TSMC, who is also assisting in the production of photodiodes and logic layers. Meanwhile, backend production capacity is being deftly managed by Caiyu and Tongxin Electronics.

Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are slated to feature dual rear camera modules. The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are speculated to boast an even more advanced 48-megapixel camera sensor, with an impressive 1-inch size. This new sensor promises to outshine the current array of 50-megapixel sensors found on Android smartphones.

The iPhone 15 series is projected to have an average selling price of $925 in the US market and is also slated to embrace a USB Type-C port. Both the base iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to harness the power of the A16 Bionic chipset, in addition to inheriting the camera stack from the iPhone 14 Pro. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro is anticipated to be equipped with the A17 Bionic chipset, likely to be based on a new TSMC 3nm node, promising significant performance and efficiency enhancements. Furthermore, a design evolution appears to be on the cards for the iPhone 15 series, with a shift towards a pill-shaped screen cutout—dubbed the 'dynamic island' by Apple—replacing the familiar notch.

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