Abstract
Image Sensor Market Ends Its Long, Steep Growth to Face a More Cyclic Era
August, 2009-Mountain View, CA-The market for image sensors will decline to
$6.4 billion in 2009, a drop of 11% from 2008 and the first decline since
Strategies Unlimited began tracking the market in 1997. Growth is expected to
return in 2010, but the average growth rate will be in the single-digits in
coming years, following over a decade of 22% compound annual growth.
A new, more cyclic phase. The current global economic cycle is driving a
temporary decline, but cycles will have a stronger effect going forward, now
that the perfect convergence of forces leading to rapid growth in image sensor
revenues for cameraphones is maturing. There will still be growth in unit
sales in coming years for image sensors overall, but short-term fluctuations
in demand, periods of oversupply and shortage, and severe price pressure will
make it more challenging to stay competitive than before.
Turmoil in Japan. Japan used to dominate world image sensor production, and
still manufactures over 90% of the world' s CCDs. CCDs continue to dominate in
digital still cameras and security cameras. Even so, Fujifilm stopped
production of image sensors for its line of cameras in 2007. Sony is thinking
of stopping its production of CMOS arrays for cameraphones, and Panasonic has
already done so.
Koreans make huge strides. Meanwhile, Korean and Taiwanese suppliers are
gaining market share, especially for cameraphones. Samsung grew 61% from 2006
to 2008, placing it among the top suppliers. We are also seeing increased
competition from other Korean and Taiwanese companies, such as SETi,
SiliconFile Technologies, and PixArt Imaging. Hynix reentered the image sensor
business in the second half of 2008. These companies are focusing on the China
handset market.
Image Sensors: Market Review and Forecast-2009 is the fifth in a series by
Strategies Unlimited and it continues to be the most comprehensive and
in-depth market report on the subject. It includes all image sensing
applications in the visible spectrum, including scintillator-coated arrays for
x-ray radiography. The study draws heavily on Strategies Unlimited' s extensive
interviews with suppliers in Japan, Korea, the U.S., and Europe, combined with
its deep expertise in this market.
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