iPhone 5 camera powered by Sony sensor

Photography is ever more important in smartphone usage, and a close-up view shows that Sony got the coveted spot supplying the sensor for Apple's new smartphone.

by Stephen Shankland

September 23, 2012 2:28 AM PDT Follow @stshank

The iPhone 5 camera uses an 8-megapixel sensor from Sony, ChipWorks found.

(Credit: ChipWorks)

Sony has been on a roll with its camera image sensors, and a close look by ChipWorks shows that the iPhone 5 uses one of its products for the main camera.

A close-up photo shows the Sony brand name on the 8-megapixel sensor at the heart of the camera.

It's not a big surprise: Sony is very competitive with image sensors these days, and former Sony CEO Howard Stringer let slip earlier this year that Sony was supplying camera technology to Apple.

But the iPhone 5 has two cameras, of course. The lesser one, a front-facing camera for videoconferencing software such as Microsoft's Skype or Apple's Facetime, uses a sensor from Sony competitor Omnivision, ChipWorks found.