• In 2023, the overall OIS actuator shipments exceeded 700 million for the first time.
• The segment is expected to continue to grow given the increasing demand for high-performance image and video stabilization.
• With advantages in size, actuation force, number of components and freedom from EMI, SMA OIS has been gaining more design wins in recent years.
• The accumulated shipments of CML-patented SMA OIS camera have exceeded 75 million. With the SMA Lens Shift AF+OIS, CML expects a greater presence in the sub-$500 price bands.

When HONOR CEO George Zhao introduced the company’s brand-new camera system at the launch of the Magic V3 and Magic Vs3 smartphones on July 12, 2024, Shape Memory Alloy-based optical image stabilization (SMA OIS) and technology leader Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd. (CML) were again brought under the spotlight.

Source: HONOR

About 10 years ago, CML, together with Foxconn and Hutchinson Technology Inc, successfully launched the industry’s first smartphone camera featuring SMA OIS actuators. Since then, with the advantage of delivering smaller, thinner form factors and higher actuation force, SMA OIS has been regarded as an advanced alternative to Voice Coil Motor-based optical image stabilization (VCM OIS). However, the related commercial progress was not smooth in the following years when compared to traditional solutions where the scale of VCM production had exceeded 2 billion units per year, thus achieving economies of scale. The pricing of SMA OIS cameras was relatively high, hampering the wide adoption of the technology in smartphones.

As mobile photography advances, greater importance is attached to image stabilization and telephoto lens. Consequently, the average OIS content has been growing. According to Counterpoint Research’s smartphone camera service, OIS actuator shipments in 2023 exceeded 700 million for the first time.

Smartphone OIS Shipments Exceed 700 Million in 2023

Source: Counterpoint Smartphone Camera Tracker

The continuous enhancement in camera performance also results in challenges arising from adopting larger image sensors. The total footprint of flagship-level camera systems can exceed 1,000 mm², while the 1-inch main camera module is more than 9mm thick. Besides, a larger image sensor demands higher actuation force to move the paired lens module. The abovementioned changes play to the strengths of SMA OIS, driving its adoption in more flagship handsets. In the case of the HONOR Magic V3, where the 50MP f/1.6 main camera features CML’s patented SMA 8-wire AF+OIS combo solution, the main camera size was reduced by 38% and autofocus speed improved by 45% (claimed by HONOR).

Besides, compared to VCM OIS where the measurement is based on a magnetic field, CML’s SMA OIS solution measures the resistance in wire, which means no need for the hall chip and no electromagnetic interference (EMI). This difference allows an SMA OIS camera module to be placed close to the antenna, and make SMA OIS increasingly achieve design wins in the fast-growing foldable segment, where there are more complex antennas, greater space constraints and often other magnets thanks to the folding mechanism.

During a recent call with CML, Counterpoint was told the accumulated shipments of CML-patented SMA OIS camera have exceeded 75 million, while a total of 55 end products have been commercially launched, including Huawei and HONOR’s flagship handsets. We expect this lineup will continue to expand as CML is diversifying its SMA offerings and strives to drive the cost down by integrating the AF+OIS functionality. The combo solution, having shipped more than 25 million units so far, is expected to become a competitive alternative to the traditional VCM in the $400-$500 price band, where CML can offer greater benefits with its proprietary algorithm, in-house control IC and mechanical and interconnection expertise.

As the demand for high-performance image and video stabilization continues to increase, OIS innovation will continue, and there will be a bigger stage for new technologies like SMA and MEMS OIS.