Overview
- Samsung is preparing to install equipment and has posted setup-related jobs at its Austin facility to manufacture CMOS image sensors for Apple, according to The Elec as cited by MacRumors.
- Production could start in March at the earliest, with a three‑stack architecture using wafer‑to‑wafer hybrid bonding, the reports indicate.
- If executed, this would be the first time iPhone image sensors are made in the United States and a departure from Sony as the sole supplier.
- The sensor is believed to target the iPhone 18 cycle, with 9to5Mac suggesting the initial deployment would likely be in the Pro models.
- Samsung recently notified Austin officials of a planned $19 billion site investment, and industry reports say Apple and Samsung reached a supply deal in August.