Secures Key Design Win From Leading Handset Maker
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — March 21, 2005 — OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OVTI), a leading global supplier of CMOS image sensors, announced today that it has secured a major design win to supply its OV9650 1.3 megapixel CMOS image sensors for use in upcoming, high volume camera phones of one of the world’s largest handset makers. This follows a series of design wins for this sensor with other handset makers and marks a milestone for this product.
“Last year, VGA cameras clearly led the camera phone market, but this year, 1.3 megapixel cameras are quickly gaining popularity,” said Jess Lee, OmniVision’s Director of Product Marketing. “These successive design wins of our OV9650 underscore our belief that 1.3 megapixel cameras will join VGA in dominating the camera phone market in 2005.”
The OV9650 is based on OmniVision’s proprietary OmniPixel® sensor technology. According to James He, Senior Vice President of Engineering at OmniVision, the OmniPixel® platform was critical in meeting the customer’s exacting image-quality requirements. The OV9650 camera performs exceptionally well in lowlight conditions. The OmniPixel® technology achieves this by significantly increasing the signal-to-noise ratio by simultaneously raising the light sensitivity of the sensor and lowering dark current to unnoticeable levels.
The OV9650 is a low-voltage CMOS image sensor offering the full functionality of a single-chip SXGA (1280 x 1024) camera and image processor in a small footprint package. The low operating voltage makes the OV9650 ideal for embedded portable applications. The sensor is controlled through a standard serial camera control bus (SCCB) interface and provides full-frame, sub-sampled or windowed 8-bit/10-bit images in a wide range of formats. These output formats include the standard parallel 8-bit YUV and parallel 10-bit raw RGB. In order to reduce the pin count of the camera module and to improve the signal quality of the connection, the sensor can be combined with OmniVision’s OV611 camera processor. This processor provides the additional output format of raw RGB through a compact camera port (CCP) that uses a high speed serial interface.
OmniVision’s OV9650 1.3 megapixel CMOS image sensors are shipping now.
About OmniPixel® Technology
OmniPixel® technology is the CMOS image sensor industry’s first no-compromise technology for advanced image-sensor applications. It enables OmniVision’s next generation of image sensors to deliver the light sensitivity, resolution, color fidelity and low noise of advanced CCD products, while also providing the proven advantages that designers have come to expect from OmniVision’s CMOS solutions — low cost, high integration, low power consumption, wide dynamic range and switchable still-image or video capture. OmniPixel® products come with premium features such as auto-focus, zooming, panning and mechanical shutter control that allow OmniPixel® technology to challenge CCDs in high-end camera markets.
Safe-Harbor
Language Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the performance and capabilities of OmniVision’s OV9650 1.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor and the anticipated acceptance and market penetration in the camera phone market of 1.3 megapixel CMOS products, generally, and OmniVision’s OV9650 1.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor, in particular, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties, which could cause the forward-looking statements and OmniVision’s results to differ materially, include, without limitation: potential errors, design flaws or other problems with the OV9650 1.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor; risks associated with building customer acceptance of and demand for the OV9650; the development of the market for 1.3 megapixels in the camera phone market as well as in markets for other portable applications incorporating image sensors; the rapid changes in technical requirements for camera phone products; competitive risks; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in OmniVision’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, OmniVision’s most recent annual report filed on Form 10-K and its subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. OmniVision disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.