NEW COMPACT CAMERA MODULE FOR M5 MACBOOKS EXPECTED IN 2025

Apple has reportedly enlisted Vietnamese supplier Sunny Optical to deliver a new compact camera module (CCM) for its MacBooks starting next year.

This module is anticipated to debut in the M5 MacBook Pro by late 2025. This decision is notable given that Apple previously canceled iPhone lens orders from Sunny Optical due to production issues.

Sunny Optical had supplied iPhone lenses to Apple until unspecified production problems led to the termination of their contract. However, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Sunny Optical has now regained Apple's business. "My latest survey indicates that starting from 2H24, iPhone orders will gradually return to Sunny Optical due to the company's continuous production improvement and communication with Apple," Kuo noted.

In addition to iPhone lenses, Sunny Optical will be producing CCMs for upcoming MacBook models. The company is set to become Apple's CCM supplier in 2025, with mass production and shipments taking place in Vietnam for the new M5 series MacBook models.

A CCM is essentially the entire camera unit excluding the lens, encompassing the sensor, digital signal processing (DSP) unit, and an infrared filter to eliminate wavelengths that could affect color accuracy.

While this report doesn't confirm that Sunny Optical will supply MacBook lenses, the possibility of sourcing both camera components from a single supplier may have influenced Apple's decision.

In Apple's optical component supply chain, Sunny Optical is unique in its ability to supply both CCMs and lenses, which could streamline Apple's supply chain.

The M4 MacBook Pro models are expected to launch in the final quarter of this year, with the M5 versions likely following about a year later.

COMPACT CAMERA MODULES