Blog Post

World's Largest Manufacturer of Image Sensors, world record set by Sony

December 9, 2024

Sony City, Minato, Tokyo, Japan--Sony Group Corporation (TYO: 6758 | NYSE: SONY), a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, was established in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita; in 2023, Sony’s image sensor market share by revenue was 53%, making Sony the World's Largest Manufacturer of Image Sensors, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"Sony Group Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group comprises entities such as Sony Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Sony Entertainment (including Sony Pictures and Sony Music Group), Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Financial Group, and others.

"Sony was established in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. This electronics company, known for creating products such as the transistor radio TR-55, the home video tape recorder CV-2000, the portable audio player Walkman, and the compact disc player CDP-101, embarked on diverse business ventures.

"The company also introduced the home video game console PlayStation in 1994, which was the first of the eponymous brand. In Japan, Sony expanded into the financial sector." (Wikipedia)

"Sony, with its 55 percent market share in the image sensor market, is the largest manufacturer of image sensors, the second largest camera manufacturer, and is among the semiconductor sales leaders.

"It is the world's largest player in the premium TV market for a television of at least 55 inches (140 centimeters) with a price higher than $2,500 as well as second largest TV brand by market share and, as of 2020, the third largest television manufacturer in the world by annual sales figures." (Wikipedia)

"Sony Corp. engages in the development, design, manufacture, and sale of electronic equipment, instruments, devices, game consoles, and software for consumers, professionals and industrial markets," the Forbes reports.

"It operates through the following segments: Game and Network Services, Music, Pictures, Home Entertainment and Sound, Imaging Products and Solutions, Mobile Communications, Semiconductors, Financial Services, and All Others. The Game and Network Services segment deals with gaming machines, software and network services.

"The Music segment produces and publishes music and provides image media platforms. The Pictures segment handles film production, television program creation, and media networks. The Home Entertainment and Sound segment offers LCD televisions, home audio, Blu-ray Disc players and recorders, and memory-based portable audio devices. The Imaging Products and Solutions segment provides digital imaging products, professional solutions, and medical goods."

"The global image sensor market is expected to be valued at USD 20.66 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 29.62 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2024–2029," the MarketsAndMarkets.com says.

"Key players operating in the video surveillance market are Sony Corporation (Japan), Samsung. (South Korea), Omnivision (US), Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC (US) and STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), among others.

"Major Image Sensors companies include:

Sony Corporation (Japan)
Samsung (South Korea)
Omnivision (US)
Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC (US)
STMicroelectronics (Switzerland)
Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Japan)
Canon Inc. (Japan)

"Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation(SSS) has the world’s largest share of the image sensor market, and boasts a lineup of high-performance image sensors tailored to a diverse range of needs in a broad range of fields from those for industrial use, to sensors used in consumer cameras, as well as those for automotive and mobile applications," the sony-semicon.com says.

"With its comprehensive range of image sensors for industrial use, SSS provides revolutionary solutions that extend well beyond mere automation and speed enhancements to address advanced issues in a variety of industries.

"SSS's image sensors for security cameras captures the objects with reliable accuracy, even under harsh conditions such as in dark places, or where there are significant differences in brightness and darkness. The outstanding photographic performance of the image sensors makes them indispensable to the security field."

"Sony is advancing in the CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) industry, driven by innovations in performance, integrability, and new sensing capabilities," the Edge AI and Vision Alliance says.

"OUTLINE

The CIS market is projected to grow from US$21.8 billion in 2023 to US$28.6 billion in 2029, a 4.7% CAGR 23-29.
Sony is advancing toward a 50% market share within a shifting ecosystem. In contrast, Samsung and SK Hynix have experienced revenue stagnation and a slight decrease.
Expanding CMOS image sensor technology and products for X-ray, UV, SWIR, polarization, and multispectral imaging confirm the transition from imaging to sensing.

"Looking first at Sony’s image sensor success over the past few years, the company has achieved consistent market share growth despite an uncertain market with significant unpredictability," the PetaPixel reports.

"In 2022, Sony’s image sensor market share by revenue was 49%. It went up to 53% the next year, and Sony expects it to reach 58% this year and 60% in 2025.

"Sony’s willingness to invest heavily in its image sensor business is related to increased demand for devices, including smartphones, with bigger and better sensors. Sony points toward five characteristics of mobile camera quality that are primarily dependent on image sensor performance, including dynamic range, noise performance, readout speed, power efficiency, and resolution."

"Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) today announced the upcoming release of the ISX038 CMOS image sensor for automotive cameras, the industry’s first*1 product that can simultaneously process and output RAW*2 and YUV*3 images," the SONY UK says.

"The new sensor product has proprietary ISP*4 inside and can process and output RAW and YUV images simultaneously.

"RAW images are required for external environment detection and recognition in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems (AD), while the YUV images are provided for infotainment applications such as the drive recorder and augmented reality (AR)."