Kirk here with more about Kumamoto as part of Japan's silicone island.

Kirk here with more about Kumamoto as part of Japan’s silicone island.

Actually, I learned from Ben Snyder’s comments in response to a previous post (Thanks Ben!) that Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent visit had a lot to do with Apple’s relationship with Sony:

— start quote — Tim Cook has tweeted an admission that Apple uses Sony image sensors in its iPhones as part of the CEO’s supplier tour of Japan. “We’ve been partnering with Sony for over a decade to create the world’s leading camera sensors for iPhone,” Cook tweeted, and thanked Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida for showing him around the Kumamoto facility. A photo shows Cook being shown his company’s own smartphone, which is objectively very funny. — end quote — https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/13/23506978/apple-iphone-sony-camera-sensor-confirmation

The Japan Times article I’m introducing points out that Sony’s expansion in Kumamoto its connected to TSMC’s new factory:

“The government will provide up to ¥476 billion ($3.5 billion) in subsidies to TSMC’s joint-venture chip plant with Sony and Denso, which aims to start production by the end of 2024. Sony and seven other major Japanese firms including Toyota have also set up a firm called Rapidus to manufacture next-generation 2-nanometer chips in Japan possibly from 2027.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/12/16/business/corporate-business/sony-new-semiconductor-plant/

Here’s one more very brief article on the same topic, which mentions Sony’s image sensors:

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/companies/20221217-77941/