Behind every shutter sound, the image sensor silently fulfills its mission. As one of the core components of cameras and mobile phones, the performance of the image sensor directly affects the quality of photos and videos. In the past, we often heard that international giants such as Sony, Samsung and other brands dominated the field of sensors, but in recent years, domestic image sensors have emerged and gradually rewritten the market pattern.
(Source: Xiaomi)
From the OV48C on the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra to the OV50H on the Honor Magic 6 series, OmniVision's high-end sensors have begun to enter the mainstream field of vision step by step, and are used by more and more imaging flagships.
When it comes to image sensors, I believe that most people will think of Sony and Samsung at the first time, but for OmniVision Technology, many users may not know what it is and what its influence is in the field of image sensors.
(Source: Haowei Technology)
OmniVision was founded in 1995 in Silicon Valley, USA. The company's four founders are all Chinese, including CEO Hong Xiaoying (graduated from China Jiaotong University in 1955), COO Chen Datong (graduated from Tsinghua University in 1977), Raymond Wu, head of marketing, and T.C Tshu, head of digital circuits.
(Pictured: Chen Datong)
In 1997, OmniVision developed the world's first single-chip color CIS, which is 100 times more optimized in cost, volume and power consumption than traditional CCDs.
After entering the 21st century, CIS has gradually become the standard configuration of mobile phone cameras. From 1998 to the end of 2004, OmniVision shipped a total of 190 million CMOS modules. Until 2010, Omnivision was the No. 1 manufacturer in the industry in terms of CMOS sensor shipments, and most of the mobile phone manufacturers were Omnivision customers.
(Source: Haowei Technology)
After 2011, Sony image sensors began to catch up, not only having a more stable supply chain, but also surpassing Haowei Technology in sensor technology. Since then, OmniVision's market share has begun to decline year by year, from the first in the world to the third in the world today.
In 2016, it was rumored that there was domestic capital to acquire OmniVision Technology, and until 2019, Weir Co., Ltd. spent 13 billion yuan to successfully acquire OmniVision Technology, and passed the approval of both China and the United States, and OmniVision Technology, as a subsidiary, has officially become a Chinese enterprise.
（图源：Yelo Group）
Haowei Technology, which has become a Chinese company, has not gone downhill, but has been favored by more mobile phone manufacturers, which is directly related to their product strategy.
Two sensors that changed the history of OmniVision
In the years of development, Omnivision Technology will inevitably experience peaks and valleys, and this time to help them get out of the trough and continue to rise, two sensors have played a key role.
The first representative CMOS is the OV48C. Perhaps most users have not heard much of this CMOS, as it is only available in the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra. However, its birth has made countless domestic mobile phone manufacturers realize that the actual image quality of the original domestic sensor is not inferior to Sony's flagship sensor.
(Source: Haowei Technology)
OV48C is customized by OmniVision Technology for Xiaomi, with 48 million usable pixels, 1/1.32" photosensitive area, 2.4μm fusion of large pixels, and 8P lens design, with high dynamic range, low noise and other characteristics.
(Source: Xiaomi)
The custom-built sensor has two unique advantages, namely that for the first time, it implements dual-native ISO Fusion ultra-dynamic technology and chip-scale single-frame progressive HDR technology. In actual imaging, it can better display highlight details when shooting scenes with large light ratios, while retaining information in the dark parts, greatly reducing the loss of detail in scenes with large light ratios, and obtaining the ultimate dynamic range performance.
(Source: Xiaomi)
OmniVision's second key product is the OV50H.
The OV50H has been very active in 2023, starting with the Xiaomi 14 series announcing its debut, followed by the iQOO 12 series and Honor's Magic 6 series. According to the current leaks on the Internet, the upcoming Huawei P70 series will also use this sensor.
(Source: Haowei Technology)
The OV50H is a 50-million-pixel CMOS sensor with a 1/1.31" outsole sensor with a stacked structure and native hyper-dynamic range. Compared to the OV48C three years ago, the OV50H delivers superior image quality, with the new dual-native ISO Fusion Max technology at a cost advantage.
(Source: Xiaomi)
Especially on the Xiaomi 14, the OV50H can be said to be at full capacity. With a large aperture of f/1.6, the Mi 14's main camera takes in 80% more light than its predecessor (Mi 13), and with dual native ISO Fusion Max technology, you can capture extremely detailed scenes in low-light scenes.
(Source: Xiaomi)
The significance of the emergence of these two sensors is to announce that OmniVision Technology has the capital to compete with first-line brands such as Sony and Samsung, and to make customers realize that they have a B plan when they negotiate with Sony and other suppliers.
In the direct dialogue with Sony's flagship CMOS, OmniVision Technology also showed good competitiveness, which is believed to be an important reason why they can gain a firm foothold in the market.
It's the same flagship, where is the gap?
Objectively speaking, Sony, as a leader in the global image sensor market, has greater advantages in terms of brand influence and market recognition. On the other hand, OmniVision's sensors will be more advantageous in terms of cost, supply, etc.
(Source: OnePlus)
Next, let's compare two sensors from these two brands that are positioned in close proximity to see where the gap lies. One is the Sony IMX707 sensor on the Xiaomi 12S, and the other is the OmniVision OV50H sensor on the Xiaomi 14.
The two sensors are not much different in terms of basic parameters, with the OV50H sensor having a slightly smaller base at 1/1.31", while the IMX707 sensor has a 1/1.28" bottom. Both sensors boast similar features such as Pixel Quad in One, Dual Native ISO Technology, DOL-HDR Technology, and All-Pixel Omnidirectional Focus.
(Source: Xiaomi)
These two sensors, if you only look at the size of the bottom, are the larger size of the IMX707. However, the OV50H is superior to the IMX707 in terms of parameters, first of all because of its 13.5EV native hyper-dynamic range, which is even wider than the one-inch IMX989. Secondly, it has a larger aperture and more advanced imaging technology than the IMX707.
Of course, the biggest advantage of the OV50H should be the cost advantage, the OV50H is rumored to cost $13 in BOM, while the IMX707 has a BOM cost of around $25.
(Source: Xiaomi)
Through comparison, we can see that the gap between OmniVision Technology and Sony's flagship sensors is very small, or even no obvious gap, and there is also a cost advantage.
However, when it comes to practical applications, factors such as software algorithms, adaptation difficulties and user cognition are still difficult problems in front of domestic sensors, but compared with the absolute disadvantages of previous hard power, these gaps are no longer insurmountable gaps.
Write to the end
At present, domestic image sensors still face some challenges in the global market competition, such as low visibility, few applications from manufacturers, and so on. The good news is that since last year, more and more domestic mobile phone manufacturers have tried to replace Sony sensors with domestic sensors, and domestic image sensors are ushering in unprecedented development opportunities.
(Source: Global Tidal Power Industry Leaders Summit)
Looking back at the domestic sensor manufacturers represented by Haowei Technology, the road they have traveled is actually somewhat similar to MediaTek.
The domestic core supply chain does have disadvantages such as popularity and product hard power in the face of successful international brands, but in the end, through unremitting efforts, the gap is recovered little by little, and even stands on the same starting line.
At the same time, this is also the epitome of China's manufacturing in the past few decades, facing backwardness, facing backwardness, never giving up, I believe that China's technology companies will be able to occupy a place on the world supply chain stage in the near future.