Apple iPhone 18 Pro to Use U.S.-Made Camera Sensors

According to South Korean media reports, Apple is preparing a notable shift in its iPhone camera supply chain, with some units in the future iPhone 18 Pro lineup expected to use CMOS image sensors (CIS) manufactured at Samsung's Austin, Texas wafer fab. If confirmed, this would mark an important change in how Apple sources one of its most critical imaging components.

The reports indicate that Samsung's Austin facility is building new production capacity and has already started lining up equipment and engineering resources. In early December, Samsung informed the Austin City Council of a planned US$19 billion investment in the site, covering the purchase, refurbishment, and ongoing maintenance of advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools.

Industry sources suggest that this additional investment is linked to a CIS-related agreement Samsung secured with Apple in August. The new CIS production line is expected to begin operations as early as March 2026, aligning closely with the development and mass-production schedule of the iPhone 18 Pro series. As standard iPhone models typically launch earlier, market watchers believe these "Made in the USA" CIS chips will initially appear only in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models.

Technically, the CIS chips Apple plans to use are said to adopt Samsung's three-layer wafer stacking approach. Using hybrid bonding, the image-sensing layer is more tightly integrated with the processing circuitry. This design can improve image data throughput and overall image quality, and is widely viewed as one of the key directions for next-generation CIS development. Compared with mainstream CIS architectures, this structure involves more complex processes and higher technical barriers.

For years, Sony has played a dominant role in supplying CIS for iPhone cameras, with most production lines based in Japan. If Samsung's Austin fab takes on part of this workload, it would signal a move away from a highly concentrated sourcing and manufacturing footprint. While it remains unclear whether Sony's role in the iPhone 18 Pro camera system will change significantly, Samsung's share in Apple's imaging ecosystem is expected to grow.

Analysts note that shifting part of high-end CIS production to the United States is consistent with Apple's broader strategy of diversifying its manufacturing base and reducing exposure to geopolitical and trade-related risks. For the electronic components industry, this development highlights both the rising complexity of advanced CIS technology and the increasing importance of geographic flexibility in semiconductor manufacturing.