October 27, 2023 /SemiMedia/ -- According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone CMOS image sensor (CIS) shipments fell 14% year-on-year to 2 billion units in the first half of 2023 due to weak market demand.

Counterpoint Research noted that the average number of cameras per smartphone will further decline to 3.8 in the first half of 2023 from 3.9 in the second half of 2022. As far as rear cameras are concerned, the share of dual- and triple-camera smartphones has been increasing, while the share of quad- and above-camera smartphones has been decreasing. Android OEMs, especially Chinese ones, have been actively reducing the number of cameras to save cost or space. At the same time, the integration of cameras, processing units and algorithms is the core of improving the overall camera performance and image quality.

From a supplier perspective, Sony was the only supplier to see year-on-year growth in CIS shipments in the first half of 2023, thanks to the strong performance of Apple's iPhone, which remained resilient during the market downturn. Both Samsung and OmniVision experienced varying degrees of year-over-year declines due to weak sales and channel inventory adjustments in the Android market.

Counterpoint Research believes that although the end market remains weak, smartphone OEMs are expected to start replenishing inventories in the third quarter to prepare for the release of new mobile phones. However, the recovery will be quite slow compared to the first half due to macroeconomic headwinds. It is expected that global smartphone CIS shipments will fall by 10% year-on-year to 4.2 billion units throughout 2023.