In spite of global supply side challenges of smartphone components, phone makers are increasingly adopting high-resolution image sensors on their mid-range devices, as more and more users now expect good quality cameras as a prerequisite.
A recent research suggested that smartphones featuring rear main cameras of 48MP and above cornered a 43 per cent share of total smartphone sales in the second quarter of 2021 while those sporting a 64MP snapper grew by 14 per cent during the same period.
In the first quarter, these stood at 38.7 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively. "We think 48MP and 64MP cameras have become the mainstream for models priced in the range of $200-$400 (approx. Rs.15,000 to Rs.25,000) while flagship devices now resort to large-area sensors that deliver DSLR-type professional images," says Ethan Qi, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, who authored the report.
In the top-end smartphones too, the 50MP cameras are the most popular ones. The report, however, noted that the 108MP devices saw a decline in sales to 3.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2021 while the 0.7nm-based 108MP sensors shifted over to the mid-range segment of devices from Redmi and Realme.
So, where does that leave the smartphones that come with low-resolution sensors? The report said these were facing tough times due to sharp price hikes with the 5MP shooters becoming dearer by as much as five per cent since the start of 2021. Even on the entry-level smartphones, the cameras have upgraded to between 8MP and 13MP with those below actually shrinking rapidly in each quarter.
However, there could be an upswing around 12MP cameras in the second half of the year due to the launch of the Samsung Z series in August and the iPhone 13 series a month later.
With Samsung pushing the envelope further with its 200MP camera likely to feature in its flagship segment in 2022, the bottom could get wiped out from the market. The Sony Xperia Pro-1 has also created a few rumblings with its 12MP 1-inch rear main camera that aims to bring consumers a DSLR-like image capture experience.
Overall, it appears as if the era of the camera becoming a decisive factor around the purchase of a smartphone is here. The question is, would it become the deciding factor?
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