With the news that Apple will be extending their Tetraprism zoom lens to the iPhone 16 Pro, LG Innotek will be a big winner in Apple's supply chain. According to a new supply chain report this morning, LG Innotek is expected to benefit as Apple plans to increase the number of folded zoom models to two in the iPhone 16 series next year. Jahwa Electronics, which is competing with LG Innotek in this sector, may see less than expected benefits next year.

News from the supply chain states that LG Innotek's share in the folded zoom anti-shake (OIS) actuator market required for the iPhone 16 series to be released by Apple next year is expected to increase compared to this year.

Folded Zoom is a telephoto camera module that bends light using a prism and transmits it to an image sensor. You can reduce the ‘knock-off’ on the back of your smartphone. High-quality shots are only possible when the actuator moves multiple lenses quickly and accurately.

Apple applied their new folded zoom to only the Pro Max this year with the folded zoom module exclusively supplied by LG Innotek.

This year's volume of actuators for folded zoom is known to be 60-70% for LG Innotek and 30-40% for Jahwa Electronics.

In the early stages of mass production of the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, Sony's image sensor, LG Innotek and Jahwa Electronics' actuators, and LG Innotek's Folded Zoom all had initial difficulties securing production yields. Yet Apple judged that LG Innotek was more stable than Jahwa Electronics in the actuator sector.

Jahwa Electronics, which has been generating iPhone folded zoom actuator sales starting this year after entering Apple's supply chain, is expected to improve yields. In fact, Jahwa Electronics invested 191 billion won (US$146 million) in new facilities from April last year to March this year.

Previously, Jahwa Electronics entered Apple's supply chain thanks to its ball guide actuator technology. Because the ball guide type actuator moves the lens barrel as the ball rolls, it is superior to Apple's existing spring type actuator, which moves the lens barrel with a spring, in terms of driving speed, accuracy, and battery consumption. In the past, Jahwa Electronics developed ball guide type actuators with Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics.