French market research firm Yole Group (hereinafter referred to as Yole) released the latest research results on the CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) market in August 2026. Data shows that in 2025, the market size grew by 9% year-on-year, reaching a record high of $25.3 billion.
In terms of companies, Sony holds approximately 50% of the market share. Furthermore, regarding regional market share, Japanese companies maintain a leading position with a 51% share. The share of Chinese companies has expanded to 21%, surpassing South Korean companies at 17% to leap to the second place globally.
01. Record High in 2025: Transitioning from Volume-Driven to Value-Added Growth
Along with the release of its latest annual report, "Status of the CMOS Image Sensor Industry in 2026," Yole published a press release. According to Yole, CIS market sales reached $25.3 billion in 2025, setting a new all-time high.
Among them, the mobile device segment accounts for approximately 63% of sales. Yole explained, "Smartphone manufacturers are accelerating the adoption of higher value-added sensors, such as larger-sized sensors, stacked architectures, and advanced front camera systems." Additionally, non-mobile segments such as automotive, defense/aerospace, and other consumer electronics are also contributing more to market diversification.
Yole expects sales in 2026 to decline slightly from the previous year. It explained, "In the short term, cyclical fluctuations in the smartphone market will be the biggest risk. Furthermore, given the boom in the AI market, tight memory supply could also put pressure on advanced CIS architectures. Meanwhile, the non-mobile market will structurally continue to enhance its influence."
Moreover, regarding future prospects, the report points out that the CIS market is transitioning towards a "volume-driven to value-added growth model" by its 2031 target. Sales are projected to reach $30.3 billion in 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% from 2025 to 2031, outpacing the 1.9% CAGR for shipments.
Yole commented, "As sensors become increasingly complex and architectures more advanced, the rise in ASP (Average Selling Price) will be the primary driver for future market value expansion. Beyond the mobile segment, defense/aerospace, automotive, and security segments are emerging as leaders in high growth."
02. Growth of Chinese Vendors and Decline of South Korean Vendors Reshape Market Landscape
Looking at the regional sales share in 2025, Japanese vendors account for 51%, a 3% year-on-year increase. Among Japanese vendors, Sony, Canon, and Hamamatsu Photonics are listed as the major manufacturers.
Sony maintained its growth in 2025, single-handedly capturing approximately 50% of global CIS market sales and firmly holding the top spot. Yole's analysis suggests that Sony's growth is driven by the high-end mobile imaging segment, where Apple-related demand, larger optical formats, high-resolution sensors, and advanced stacked architectures have all contributed.
Overview and Shares of Major CIS Vendors; Source: Yole Group
On the other hand, while Samsung Electronics (hereinafter referred to as "Samsung") still retains its position as the world's second-largest CIS manufacturer, its sales remained largely flat. Reportedly, this is mainly due to fierce competition from Sony in the high-end smartphone segment, and increasingly intense competition with Chinese vendors in the mid-to-low-end market. Furthermore, SK Hynix announced its exit from the image sensor business, shifting its operational resources to its core business—memory, which has also weakened its market influence.
As a result, the market share of South Korean vendors dropped by 4% year-on-year to 17%, losing the second place to Chinese vendors, whose market share grew by 2% year-on-year to 21%.
Leading the growth of Chinese vendors are companies such as OmniVision, SmartSens, GalaxyCore, and Gpixel. OmniVision, which has strong capabilities in the automotive and security segments, achieved double-digit growth. Additionally, SmartSens has expanded its business in mobile, security, automotive, and consumer electronics segments, and according to Yole, "has demonstrated particularly strong growth momentum among major manufacturers."
In China, in addition to smartphones, segments such as security, automotive, drones, robotics, AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), and smart home are also supporting CIS demand.
Anas Chalak, Market and Technology Analyst for Imaging at Yole, pointed out regarding the rise of Chinese companies: "This is not only due to the market but also supported by the supply chain." He stated, "Chinese CIS manufacturers have combined domestic foundry resources with overseas manufacturing channels on the one hand, and strengthened partnerships with domestic camera module manufacturers on the other, thereby achieving optimization in cost, product certification, and time-to-market."
The shares of North American and European vendors are both 5%, with North American vendors declining by 1% year-on-year and European vendors remaining flat. Among North American vendors, onsemi has seen a decline in sales due to intensified competition in the automotive market.
03. Sony Leads with 57% in Mobile Segment, OmniVision Tops Automotive Segment
In terms of application segments, in the mobile segment, Sony holds a 57% market share, significantly leading Samsung and ranking first. Reportedly, OmniVision, SmartSens, GalaxyCore, and STMicroelectronics are also involved in specific mobile and sensing application segments. In the automotive segment, although OmniVision ranks first, Sony is reportedly expanding its market share in high-resolution Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and viewing camera applications.
In the consumer-oriented photography application segment, Sony and Canon still hold a large market share; while in the smart IoT segment, OmniVision, GalaxyCore, SmartSens, Samsung, and Himax Technologies have become major manufacturers.
In the security segment, SmartSens and OmniVision are in the lead. In the industrial application segment, while Sony maintains its dominant position, onsemi, Teledyne Technologies, Gpixel, and Hamamatsu Photonics also maintain a strong presence in applications with strict requirements for high performance and long product lifecycles.
04. 3D Integration Becomes the Focus of Competition
The report points out that in the technological development of CIS, the focus of competition is shifting from pixel size miniaturization to 3D integration. Currently, hybrid stacking of BSI (Backside Illumination) has become mainstream. The report specifically emphasizes that the three-layer stacking technology adopted by Sony for iPhone and OPPO "has become a significant milestone."
In terms of 3D integration, the trend is moving towards combining CIS with logic and memory using 28/22nm processes. Reportedly, this stacked structure will help achieve low power consumption, high-speed readout, and on-chip processing.
05. AI-Oriented Memory Demand Poses Supply Risks for CIS
On the other hand, Yole points out that the boom in the memory market, driven by AI demand, will become a new supply chain risk for the future CIS market. As demand for AI-oriented High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM expands, memory supply is tightening and prices are rising. Meanwhile, memory manufacturers are prioritizing higher-margin segments. Reportedly, this trend could indirectly impact CIS.
Yole listed its impacts on wafer capacity allocation, logic/memory costs, stacked architectures, buffers, and camera module roadmaps, pointing out that the AI-driven memory market boom will become a new supply chain risk for CIS from 2026 onwards.
Source: Compiled by Xinpianlaosiji (ID: xinpianlaosiji) from "EE Times Japan", Author: Jun Nagayama