Sony says it ‘just can’t make enough’ image sensors to keep up with phone demand

While Sony has largely exited the phone manufacturing business, the Japanese tech giant has remained in the smartphone ecosystem in a significant way by producing image sensors for other companies.

However, the company says it’s struggling to keep up with demand.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Sony semiconductor head Terushi Shimizu noted that the company’s image sensor factories are working constantly through the holidays for the second consecutive year. Even with that extra work, though, Shimizu said production is falling behind.

“Judging by the way things are going, even after all that investment in expanding capacity, it might still not be enough,” Shimizu told Bloomberg. “We are having to apologize to customers because we just can’t make enough.”

It’s unclear how Sony might address the production concerns. However, the company has a major incentive to resolve the issue. In its Q2 2019 earnings report earlier this year, Sony said it’s targeting 60 percent of its revenue to come from its image sensor business by March 2026.

Source: Bloomberg