Sony’s mobile business is struggling, to say the least. In the United States, Sony smartphones are essentially non starters at this point. Even abroad, the company’s phones are struggling to compete against higher profile devices from the likes of Samsung. The company’s smartphone unit lost billions in 2014, and rumors suggest the company is considering an exit from the smartphone business so it can focus on more profitable units.
While its own smartphones are causing nothing but headaches at Sony right now, there is one smartphone that Sony absolutely adores: Apple’s iPhone 6.
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You know that bump on the back of the iPhone 6? The one that some people whined about constantly when the phone was first announced? When Sony looks at that bump, it doesn’t see a design compromise or an eyesore, it sees dollar signs.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone 6 has not one but two camera sensors manufactured by Sony — one on the front and one on the back. As a result, unnamed analysts cited in the report say that Sony makes as much as $20 per iPhone 6 unit sold.
In other words, while Sony’s own smartphone business is bleeding billions of dollars, the iPhone 6 is a cash cow for the company. Better yet, Apple is rumored to be prepping an even better camera for the upcoming iPhone 6s, which could mean a new, improved and even more expensive sensor from Sony.
