Sony may be making headlines for its smartphone-mounted cameras and 20 megapixel-rumored flagships, but the company has been winning a war behind the scenes too. The Japanese firm is a leading producer of CMOS camera sensors for the smartphone market, reaching beyond their own Xperia handsets and seemingly some of the rivals’ flagship phones too. But the real secret behind the success may be the innovation.

Executives of the Japanese company decline to disclose the list of buyers that Sony provide for their own phones, though it has been known for years that Sony is one of the final parts suppliers to Apple in their iPhones. But which parts? Many companies retain the right to mark their parts with logos, so when someone takes apart a smartphone piece by piece, the ‘undisclosed’ logos are finally revealed. This is exactly what this technology specialist did and found Sony logos on the iPhone 5.

This innovation is a hidden gem in the Sony portfolio, as the firm’s management directly referenced their camera technology’s performance positively during their Q1 Fy 2013 earnings release:

 In the imaging business, sales of image sensors for smartphones, including external sales continue to perform well due to market expansion and Sony’s industry-leading product appeal. 

Essentially, as their smartphone share builds, the company effectively benefits from the success of rivals, much like Samsung does with Apple.

More on Sony’s 2013 CMOS camera sensors.

Discuss:

Should Sony help power rival smartphones and reap the profits or should they keep their technology for themselves?