LG said to be producing Apple iPhone camera modules in new Vietnam factory

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPhone
A new LG Innotek factory in Vietnam is allegedly geared toward churning out single- and dual-lens camera modules for various iPhone models, matching Apple's growing demands.




LG is aiming for enough capacity to produce 100,000 modules per day by the end of 2017, though mass shipments are only expected to kick off in 2018, South Korea's ET News claimed on Thursday. Orders should continue through 2019 and possibly beyond.

The new factory is said to be LG's first producing iPhone cameras modules outside of South Korea, and necessary because seven production lines in Gumi are already operating round-the-clock -- some 700 people have allegedly been hired for camera module production in the last six months.

Operating in Vietnam is also expected to feed LG's bottom line, as labor costs are reportedly about a tenth those in Korea.

Apple now has not one but three iPhone models with dual-lens cameras: 7 Plus, the 8 Plus, and the iPhone X, which goes up for preorder at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time on Friday. In each case the second lens enables optical zoom, as well as a Portrait mode that simulates the depth-of-field effects of DSLRs.

Several single-lens iPhones are on sale, including the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, and 8. It's not yet clear if the X -- which Apple positions as the future of iPhone design -- means that single-lens modules will eventually be phased out.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,283member
    Hmm. Last I saw, Sony was also building a new facility to focus on camera modules, primarily for Apple. Of course, dual sourcing is to be expected as well as the possibility that each is used in different products.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    unphocusunphocus Posts: 81member
    I thought Sony produces all the camera sensors for Apple. If LG produces the camera sensors they build for Apple, then it would be interesting to compare the two side by side. 
  • Reply 3 of 5
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mike1 said:
    Hmm. Last I saw, Sony was also building a new facility to focus on camera modules, primarily for Apple. Of course, dual sourcing is to be expected as well as the possibility that each is used in different products.
    With so many different types of "cameras" in the iPhone X I wonder if Sony and LG are even competing here. Could the source even be referring to the dot projector as a camera?


    edited October 2017
  • Reply 4 of 5
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    mike1 said:
    Hmm. Last I saw, Sony was also building a new facility to focus on camera modules, primarily for Apple. Of course, dual sourcing is to be expected as well as the possibility that each is used in different products.
    I could be wrong but I thought I read last year Sony will only be making camera modules just for Sony phones. 
  • Reply 5 of 5
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    unphocus said:
    I thought Sony produces all the camera sensors for Apple. If LG produces the camera sensors they build for Apple, then it would be interesting to compare the two side by side. 
    The camera sensor goes inside the module. I imagine Sony is still making camera sensors for the iPhone but LG is making the module. 
    1STnTENDERBITS
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