Samsung adds another vendor to its camera supply chain for the Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature a total of five cameras, four on the back and one on the front. The 200MP primary rear camera will be flanked by a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 10MP periscope telephoto camera with 10X optical zoom (folded zoom camera), and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom. The specs of the front-facing camera are not known yet but it may be unchanged from the Galaxy S22 Ultra (40MP). After all, apart from a 200MP main sensor, nothing changes on the back either. In what appears to be a cost-management strategy, Samsung plans to source these cameras from multiple vendors. Apart from the 200MP camera, of course. The company’s Electro-Mechanics division will make it. But for other sensors, the Korean behemoth has reportedly signed up China’s Sunny Optical as the latest supplier. According to The Elec, the Chinese firm will provide Samsung with the 10MP folded zoom (10X) and 12MP ultra-wide cameras for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Sunny Optical is reportedly the preferred supplier for these two lenses. It previously supplied cameras for Samsung’s mid-range phones, so it likely trusts the Chinese vendor for quality. It’s a big win for the former as well since Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to make up the bulk of the upcoming Galaxy flagships. However, it won’t be the only supplier of these lenses. Samsung itself will make some portion of it while the company will also source some units from its compatriot Namuga. Additionally, Samsung will source the 10MP telephoto zoom camera (3X) for the Galaxy S23 Ultra from South Korean firms Mcnex and Partron. For the front camera, the company has reportedly signed up Namuga and Powerlogics (another South Korean firm) as suppliers. Interestingly, the new report mentions a 10MP selfie camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While such a massive downgrade seems unlikely, we will have to wait for confirmation on that.
Other Galaxy S23 models will also have multiple camera suppliers
Samsung is applying a similar strategy for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ as well. These two models will use cameras from four different vendors. Along with Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the company will also source cameras from its compatriots Partron, Cammsys, and Powerlogics. The new Galaxy flagships will likely launch in January next year.
