Sony Smartphone Sensor Sales Are Down, But Things Still Look Rosy
Don’t for one second think that the popularity of Smartphone cameras is dwindling.
The smartphone market took a massive hit a few years ago. Overpopulation in the marketplace and consumers being content was the reason. Now, though, Smartphone sales are on the up in a big way. A big reason for this is because of the cameras they house. Smartphone cameras are better than ever before. They can tap into powerful AI. The quality of lenses is increasing. Smartphone sensors are also becoming more powerful. However, last year Sony smartphone sensor sales went south. Is this something for smartphone photographers to worry about? Let’s talk about this after the break.
In a recent post, Vladimir Koifman of Image Sensors World talked about a huge decrease in sales for the Sony Smartphone sensor division. The article cited a Sony earnings call transcript. Sony execs talk about how operating income had dropped by 24.8 billion yen (roughly $236 Million). Also discussed, year on year sales, which had dropped by 10%. Hold on, though. While this sounds like a huge tank in business for the Sony smartphone sensor division, there were a couple of solid reasons for this.
One of the main reasons is because Sony stopped supplying a major Chinese smartphone manufacturer. I will assume that they are talking about Huawei here. Still, there was a legitimate decrease in sales, as well as an increase in research and development expenses. The loss also takes depreciation into account as well. Yes, it sounds bad on the surface, but Sony has rectified any issues they had.
Breathe Easy, the Sony Smartphone Empire Will Be Fine
So, as you can see, the reasons Sony gave during their earnings call show that there’s nothing to worry about. Sure, the look still isn’t great for Sony. We’re sure the masterminds over at Samsung were grinning from ear to ear when they heard this. However, the moneymen think that the Sony Smartphone sensor aspect of their business will bounce back in a big way. Of course, they do. They have to project positivity to their shareholders. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to see that the smartphone market is booming. It’s also clear that consumers see their smartphones as more than good enough to be their everyday cameras. By 2023, Sony believes that they will be back on track with their smartphone sensor plans.
Smartphone Photography Is More Popular Than Ever
Who are we to doubt them. We know that Sony has their own line of smartphones. The Sony Xperia 1 II and the new Sony XPERIA Pro 5G are excellent phones and cameras. Then tag on the fact that more and more smartphones are being sold each and every year, and you’ll soon start to understand that demand for Sony smartphone sensors will only increase.
We recently discussed this on an episode of our popular live talk show, Pro Camera Reviews. More and more consumers and even some professionals are ditching traditional cameras. Advances in technology make smartphone cameras hard to ignore now. Especially to those who only share their work in the social media space. We’re sure it’s not only the Sony smartphone sensor division who thinks that the money will continue to roll in over the coming years.
What do you think about smartphone photography? Do you think the likes of Sony have anything to worry about at all? Let us know what you think about this in the comment section below.