10/27, 9:35am
OmniVision says iPhone 3GS demand high
OmniVision may have given signs of a large jump in iPhone 3GS production today through a leak of its production demands. Best known for making the 3.2-megapixel camera inside the Apple handset, the mini-camera designer is warning its other customers that supply will be tight until at least late November as Apple is consuming much of its stock. Other sources for DigiTimes add that iPhone 3GS orders for the holidays may have increased by as much as 17 to 20 percent.
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09/22, 7:55am
Samsung 1GHZ ARM Cortex-A8
Samsung this morning unveiled a pair of components that could give smartphones 1080p video playback and capture. The S5PC110 (not pictured) is based on ARM's faster Cortex-A8 architecture but can run at 1GHz even in the tight space of a smartphone; the feat is achieved through a 45 nanometer manufacturing process that keeps it relatively cool and power-efficient. Running it past even the 833MHz of earlier chips lets it decode and record 1080p video at a full 30 frames per second, including with HDMI 1.3 output of the image at full resolution.
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08/27, 8:35am
iPod classic Camera Leak
Apple's widely expected camera-equipped iPods could include the iPod classic as well as the already suspected iPod nano and iPod touch, market contacts claimed Thursday. OmniVision, which supplies iPhone 3GS cameras, is reported by DigiTimes as having been picked by Apple to also supply 3.2-megapixel cameras for all three of its iPods with screens, including the hard drive-based classic. All three iPods are also slated for September, coinciding with talk of a September 9th event, and are therefore likely to ship on or shortly after their unveiling.
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08/25, 10:10am
OmniVision OV2710 1080p
OmniVision today unveiled a new sensor that could make 1080p video capture widespread in mobile devices for the near future. The OV2710 can record the HD resolution at 30 frames per second but is notable for using a 2-megapixel sensor that matches the video format. As a result, a device with the sensor doesn't need the expense and image cropping of a larger sensor and gets better performance in low light and with reduced noise. Through this and using a CMOS sensor instead of CCD, a small camera can still be usable in light levels "well below" 15 lux, or lighting closer to what would be expected in a poorly-lit room.
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06/25, 2:35pm
OmniVision 1080p Phone Cam
OmniVision on Thursday added new camera sensors that could have significance for future smartphones, including the iPhone. The OV5650 can handle 5-megapixel still shooting but is more impressive in video capture, the company says: it can record full 1080p video at 30 frames per second or scale back to 720p in exchange for 60 frames per second. It's also backlit and is roughly 40 percent better in low light than a front-lit system while simultaneously producing a twice as clean signal-to-noise ratio.
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04/14, 8:00am
2009 iPhone Supplier Leak
The companies responsible for manufacturing parts in the next major iPhone release have potentially been named by industry contacts of DigiTimes that also predict ship dates and numbers. The Taiwan-area site reinforces its previous claim that OmniVision is making a 3.2-megapixel sensor for the Apple handset's camera and now says that Largan Precision is making the rest of the imaging unit. Infineon is continuing to provide the cellular baseband (likely upgraded to 7.2Mbps 3G) as well as the GPS chipset.
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04/08, 7:40am
iPhone Parts Shipping
The various components that will go into the 2009 iPhone are reportedly being shipped for assembly. The Taiwan-area newspaper Commercial Times claims that multiple suppliers are sending their parts off for the widely assumed June launch and that shipments of iPhones themselves could range between 2-3 million in the quarter following Apple's launch; it's implied that some of these may include old models being cleared out.
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04/03, 9:30am
3.2MP camera for iPhone
The next iPhone should indeed have a 3.2-megapixel camera, according to a Taiwanese industry report. Market sources claim that OmniVision has received orders from Apple for 3.2-megapixel CMOS sensors, with the specific intent of use in a new iPhone line. Aptina and STMicroelectronics are also said to have been in competition to produce the sensors.
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05/27, 9:35am
OmniVision 8MP Cell Camera
Omnivision today said it has developed a new camera sensor that should radically improve the quality of photography from cellphones. A variant of the company's OmniBSI chip technology allows the company to fill each individual pixel on the sensor with much more light than previously possible by literally flipping the sensor upside down and lighting its back. In doing so, the company says it can pack a much more dense sensor into the same space as an equivalent model. An eight-megapixel sensor can already fit in the space occupied by a three-megapixel sensor today, the company says.
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