In July 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected Samsung to begin shipping 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera sensors to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, which is when some iPhone 18 models are expected to be released.
In a follow-up post this weekend, however, Kuo said he now expects the first iPhone models with Samsung's sensor to be released in 2027. In other words, this rumor seemingly now applies to some iPhone 19 models, instead of iPhone 18 models.
It is also possible that Samsung's sensor could debut on the iPhone 18e in early 2027, but the iPhone 16e does not have an Ultra Wide rear camera currently.
Last month, Apple announced Samsung would supply it with iPhone chips manufactured in Texas. According to the Financial Times, the chips in question are three-layer stacked image sensors, which enable higher pixel density and improved low-light performance by vertically stacking multiple sensor layers. Stacked sensor architecture has other benefits too, including higher dynamic range and reduced power consumption.
Sony has long been the exclusive supplier of image sensors for iPhone cameras, so Samsung entering the fray would be notable, whenever that may happen.
For those of you playing along at home, an iPhone 18 rumor has become an iPhone 19 rumor, two days before Apple unveils the iPhone 17. iPhone 20, anyone?
