The iPhone 18 could get a new "Made in Texas" CMOS sensor by Samsung

Gas and water are coming, too

The hookup phase is underway to install utility pipelines, such as gas and water, that will support operations at the facility. Managers overseeing this stage are coordinating input from designers, suppliers, and equipment engineers to ensure systems are aligned with production requirements.

These hiring activities also indicate that foundational work for the cleanroom (a highly controlled, sterile environment) is nearing completion, as production equipment is typically installed only after hookups are finalized.

Removing contaminants such as unwanted oxide layers or defective metal is essential, as surface cleaning accounts for up to 40% of the total process steps in chip production and directly impacts yield and reliability.

Earlier this month, Samsung informed the Austin city council that it plans to invest $19 billion in its local facility, covering repair and maintenance work as well as the acquisition of advanced manufacturing equipment. Industry sources link this additional spending to a deal secured in August to supply Apple with CMOS image sensors.

We've heard this before

Sony has long been Apple's primary supplier of image sensors for the iPhone, but that arrangement could change with the iPhone 18. A year ago, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple may turn to Samsung, which is developing a new three-layer stacked image sensor specifically for Apple.

This design separates the light-capturing photodiode layer from the processing layer, allowing faster image capture and better performance, particularly in low-light conditions, along with improved dynamic range and color accuracy.

The iPhone 17 Pro saw a generous hardware upgrade on the camera front, so I'm really curious about this new Samsung-made sensor in the iPhone 18.