Sunny Optical to supply ToF modules to next-gen Galaxy S11

China’s Sunny Optical will be supplying ToF modules to the next generation flagship Galaxy S11 flagship models for Samsung Electronics. It would be the second time since supplying to the Galaxy S10 5G rolled out this year, according to industry sources on Oct. 21.

As Sunny Optical begins to supply more to the flagship series, market experts are predicting competition among South Korean camera module manufacturers to heat up.

ToF refers to a 3D sensing technology that is expected to grow exponentially in the 5G era amid the growth of AR and VR content.

In South Korea, suppliers Namuga and Partron will be the two main suppliers for the Galaxy S11 ToF modules. These two companies have also supplied ToF modules to the Galaxy Note 10+.

Sunny Optical has been growing exponentially recently, supplying ToF modules for Samsung's flagship Galaxy S10’s 5G model, together with Partron, this year. The next Galaxy S11 is likely to be applied with more ToF modules, meaning more business for the Chinese supplier. 

Until now, Sunny Optical had had a relatively small share of camera modules in Samsung Electronics compared to South Korean manufacturers. Last year marked the first time that Sunny Optical supplied camera modules to low-end Samsung products. "The rise of Sunny Optical is making South Korean camera module suppliers nervous,” said one industry representative.

This year, Sunny is expected to take up about 20% of Samsung’s smartphone camera lens demand. Another 10% will be filled by Taiwan’s Largan Precision, while another 70% would be from South Korean lens manufacturers like SEKONIX.

Sunny Optical’s sales in Asia excluding China jumped 140% on-year to about 400 billion won (2.3 billion yuan) in H1. Revenues from South Korea most likely accounted for a larger amount from the same period last year due to the wider application of multi-cameras by Samsung.

The Elec is South Korea’s No.1 tech news platform.