Dongbu HiTek, a Seoul-based semiconductor maker, said Thursday that it started mass production of 2-megapixel CMOS image sensors for Chinese smartphone manufacturer BYD Microelectronics.

As the demand for smartphone components has increased recently with more mobile phones being equipped with the 2-megapixel image sensor on the front, it is expected that shipments of the sensors will likely double this year compared to last year, the Korean firm said in a press release.

The smartphone sensor is usually used for the front-facing cameras on mobile phones.

Dongbu previously supplied 0.3-megapixel image sensors and security surveillance application sensors to the Chinese company.

The Korean chip maker said the smartphone component would likely be installed in around 80 percent of smartphones in the entire market by 2016.

Dongbu plans to ship its image sensors to other Chinese firms such as Huawei, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker after Samsung Electronics and Apple. 

“Dongbu is currently working on developing a 5-megapixel image sensor with BDY, and will be able to begin production of the more advanced sensor soon,” a Dongbu HiTek official said.

“It will also launch a project with the Chinese partner to develop an 8-megapixel image sensor by the end of this year.”

(wone0102@heraldcorp.com)