Sony’s image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStation’s success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market by selling software by subscription for data-analysing sensors in situ.
We have a solid position in the market for image sensors, which serve as a gateway for imaging data
“We have a solid position in the market for image sensors, which serve as a gateway for imaging data,” said Sony’s Hideki Somemiya, who heads a new team developing sensor applications.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and Chinese-owned OmniVision Technologies are also expanding the software capability of image sensors, but analysts said a 52% market share gives Sony a competitive edge in the emerging area.
Sony’s portfolio may be growing in complexity, but it still reported two consecutive years of record profit through to March 2019
“CEO Yoshida’s message suggests Sony will focus on profit growth with diversified businesses,” said analyst Junya Ayada at JPMorgan Securities.
Still, others said it is hard to factor in the potential of the sensor software subscription service as it could take years for such a business to become a driver of Sony’s overall growth.
