Digital-image sensors converts optical image into an electronic image. Today’s most used technology types include semiconductor charge-coupled devices (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS). As smartphones and other mobile devices become more popular demand for digital-image sensors are expected to increase. CMOS is widely used in smartphones, tablets and other devices that uses installed cameras. Smartphones alone is expected to demand 1.7 billion units by 2017.

Santa Clara, California based OmniVision Technologies is the world’s largest maker of digital-image sensors. It has helped Apple until iPhone 4S which came out in 2011, supplying with sensors. Today it is helping Apple with their iPads and other makers of smartphone and other device to compete with mainstream stand-alone cameras with tiny cameras embedded in smartphones and other devices such as GoPro cameras. Sony is becoming its main competitor accounting for more than 34 percent of the market share and now supply tiny sensors to Apple for its iPhone 4S and others. Samsung claims it has 13 percent of the market share and another viable main player in the field.

OmniVision makes tiny image sensors for smartphones and other devices that range in cost from 40 cents to about $4 a piece.