Apple reportedly drops Sharp from iPhone 16 camera supply chain

Apple has reportedly cut Sharp, the second largest iPhone camera module supplier, from the iPhone 16 camera supply chain, with a report from The Elec claiming that suppliers LG Innotek, Foxconn and Cowell will pick up the work that would have usually been given to Sharp for the new devices.

According to the report, the removal of Shape follows after the Japanese company lost momentum when its camera module factory in Vietnam halted production back in September 2021 due to the pandemic, with Apple putting more reliance on its other suppliers, who have left the iPhone maker without a need for Sharp’s camera manufacturing moving forward.

LG Innotek is currently the dominant supplier of 3D time of flight modules in iPads and iPhones over its Japanese rival, according to the report, with over 70% market share in Apple’s camera module supply chain.

LG Innotek is also expected to be the main supplier of folded zoom camera modules that Apple plans to introduce on its iPhone 15 Pro Max this year when the company introduces its first-ever periscope lens, allowing for up to double the optical zoom.