While Apple is expected to have at least its new iPhone Pro series for 2021 feature ToF-based LiDAR scanners, some Android handset vendors including China's Honor are poised to resume adoption of ToF cameras for their new flagship models, according to industry sources.

An independent spinoff from Huawei, Honor adopts a depth-of-field (DOF) ToF camera for its newly released 50 Pro series, and has moved to pull in shipments of VCSEL chips needed as light source for camera from Taiwan supply chain players including GaAs foundries Win Semiconductors, Advanced Wireless Semiconductor (AWSC) and epi-wafer vendor Visual Photonics Epitaxy (VPEC), who also supply such chips for 3D face ID sensors and ToF LiDAR scanners for iPhones, the sources said.

The sources said Honor 50 and Honor 50 Pro feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778 series 5G APs manufactured at TSMC with 6nm process node and packaged by ASE Technology, while Honor 50SE adopts MediaTek's Dimensity 900 5G SoC.

Meanwhile, Huawei, though losing its luster in smartphone sales, is reportedly to launch its new P50 series next week with certain flagship models also to feature ToF cameras apart from using its own Harmony OS 2.0, the sources said, adding that it remains to be seen whether the company's new flagship smartphones can gain ground in the market.

Leading Android handset vendor Samsung has shown little interest in re-installing ToF cameras in its new flagship models, and is unlikely to release handsets with such cameras in 2021, the sources continued.

Win Semi, AWSC and VPEC are expected to embrace a strong second-half 2021 due partly to robust shipments of 5G PA devices and VSCEL chips for new iPhones and China-made flagship smartphones, the sources said.