Apple is expected to announce its M4-powered MacBook Pro lineup in Q4 of this year. However, a new report has emerged suggesting that the 2025 MacBook lineup powered by the M5 processor be equipped with a compact camera module (CCM).
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the compact camera module (CCM) will be supplied by Apple"s Vietnamese supplier, Sunny Optical. This is pretty interesting because Apple had to cancel the contract for iPhone lenses from the same company due to production problems. The reason behind the cancelation was touted to be unspecified production issues.
Now, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed via a post on Medium that Sunny Opticals has won back the orders from Apple;
My latest survey indicates that starting from 2H24, iPhone orders will gradually return to Sunny Optical. This is due to Sunny Optical’s continuous production improvement and communication with Apple.
Kuo further added that Sunny Opticals would be making and supplying CCM for future MacBook models. A CCM is the entire camera unit, which includes the sensor, digital signal processing unit (DSP), and infrared filter that is present to filter out the colors that would prevent color accuracy. However, the camera unit doesn"t include the lens.
For current MacBooks, the primary suppliers of camera modules have been LG InnoTek and Sharp. However, Sunny Opticals has an advantage because it can simultaneously supply CCM and lenses in a single package. Ming-Chi Kuo added that if the shipments go smoothly for MacBooks, then Sunny Opticals could also become the new CCM supplier for future iPhones and iPads.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a thinner MacBook Pro model, as per Bloomberg"s Mark Gurman. However, there is no clarity as to when Apple may debut the MacBook Pro, since there is no refresh rumored for this year"s lineup. It is speculated that the changes may appear with the 2025 MacBook models.