Kuo: 2026 iPhone to Use New Advanced Camera Sensor From Samsung - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Kuo: 2026 iPhone to Use New Advanced Camera Sensor From Samsung

Apple's iPhone will adopt a new 1/2.6-inch 48MP Ultra Wide CMOS image sensor (CIS) made by Samsung as early as 2026, breaking Sony's years-long monopoly as Apple's CIS supplier, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iphone 12 pro sensor shift
Writing in a brief report published on X (formerly Twitter), Kuo said Samsung has already established a dedicated team within its ranks to work on the camera components with a view to specifically supplying Apple.

For years now, Apple has exclusively sourced CIS for its iPhones from Sony. However, recent developments suggest a strategic shift away from the Japanese supplier due to concerns about reliability and Apple's need to integrate new technologies into its camera system.

If the 2026 production roadmap goes to plan, Apple could be using Samsung-made image sensors in the camera system that features on its iPhone 18 series.

Popular Stories

Apple Foldable Thumb

Apple's Foldable iPhone Will Have a Samsung-Made OLED Display

Wednesday April 8, 2026 2:54 am PDT by
Apple has agreed to source foldable OLED panels exclusively from Samsung for the next three years, reports The Elec. Apple will not use foldable panels from other display suppliers as part of the agreement, according to the Korea-based outlet. The company is said to have accepted the terms given the lack of viable alternative suppliers. This year, Apple is expected to release a...
Apple Logo 16x9 US Flag Feature

Apple Subpoenas Samsung in South Korea Over DOJ Antitrust Case

Thursday April 9, 2026 4:20 am PDT by
Apple has asked a U.S. court to formally request internal Samsung documents from South Korea as part of discovery in the DOJ's ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the company. The DOJ filed suit against Apple in March 2024, alongside a number of governments, alleging the company used App Store rules, developer restrictions, and control over key iPhone features to stifle competition. After Apple...
galaxy fold 7 orange

Samsung's U.S. Price Increases Add to Concerns About Rising Apple Device Costs

Tuesday April 14, 2026 2:47 pm PDT by
Samsung raised the prices of several of its smartphones and tablets in the United States overnight, likely due to increasing costs caused by ongoing memory shortages. As shared by PhoneArena, the 512GB Galaxy Z Flip increased by $80 from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, while the S25 Edge and S25 FE went up $80 and $40, respectively. Samsung did not increase the cost of its current-generation S26...

Top Rated Comments

23 months ago
Give it a few months then he will say it’s delayed until the 2027 iPhone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
23 months ago
Kuo, what about 2027 iphone?
we know you need the clicks for your BS rumours
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
23 months ago
I definitely appreciate how much focus Apple puts into maintaining annual upgrades to the camera system on the pro model phones each year

I hope that Apple eventually includes the new camera features on both screen size pro model iPhones (like they did with the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max)

With the 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max, users had to decide between whether they wanted the new camera features or not (if they didn’t want the bigger max size iPhone)

I much prefer the smaller pro model iPhone so if Apple were to go back to the way the iPhone 14 Pro model phones were (that didn’t differentiate camera features) that would be awesome
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
23 months ago
I don't care who makes the sensors. Just give us the best possible hardware for cameras.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
23 months ago

The iPhone is slowly becoming a idroid with the anti reflective display being sourced from Samsung, Google being the default search engine, and now the camera components being sourced from Samsung. What’s next!
This is nothing new, Sony makes Android phones as well.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freezelighter Avatar
23 months ago
I wish we could have 1" inch sensor in the iPhone.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)