OmniVision Announces Compact 8-Megapixel CameraChip™ Solution for Smartphones and Tablets

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV8865, a new low-power, high-performance 8-megapixel CameraChip™ sensor. Featuring an improved 1.4-micron OmniBSI-2^TM pixel, the OV8865 delivers best-in-class pixel performance in a smaller package and uses less power when compared to the previous-generation OV8835, making the OV8865 an ideal camera solution for new mobile devices, including advanced smartphones and tablets.

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"Reports are predicting that more than 1.8 billion smartphones and 250 million tablets will be produced annually by 2015[1], with the majority of this growth expected to come from developing markets like China and India. We are bringing to market the OV8865 at a time when manufacturers in these booming markets are looking for a cost-competitive camera solution for their slim and feature-rich devices with extended battery life," said Harish Iyer, product marketing manager at OmniVision. "The 8-megapixel OV8865 has been re-engineered from top to bottom. With an enhanced 1.4-micron OmniBSI-2 pixel, the OV8865 has improved camera performance and image quality when compared to our last generation 8-megapixel sensor, and offers smaller package-size and lower power consumption."

The OV8865 provides a number of performance improvements over the previous generation OV8835 CameraChip sensor. These improvements, including a 50 percent reduction in dark current and a five percent improvement in dynamic range, result in superior high- and low-light image capture. Additionally, the OV8865 consumes considerably less power when compared to the OV8835, achieving the sub-200 mW benchmark currently favored by many high-end mobile device manufacturers.

Utilizing OmniVision's advanced 1.4-micron OmniBSI-2™ pixel architecture, the 1/3.2-inch OV8865 supports an active array of 3264 x 2448 pixels (8-megapixel) operating at 30 frames per second (FPS) for high-speed photography. The sensor is also capable of capturing 1080p high definition (HD) video at 30 FPS or 720p HD video at 60 FPS with electronic image stabilization, at 100 percent horizontal field of view. The OV8865's 2 x 2 binning functionality with post-binning resampling filter minimizes spatial artifacts and removes image artifacts around sharp edges to deliver clean, crisp color images.

The OV8865 comes in a smaller footprint when compared to the OV8835, fitting into a thin 8.5 x 8.5 x 5 mm module. It is currently available for sampling and is expected to enter volume production in the fourth quarter of 2013.

About OmniVision
OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) is a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions. Its award-winning CMOS imaging technology enables superior image quality in many of today's consumer and commercial applications, including mobile phones, notebooks, tablets and webcams, digital still and video cameras, security and surveillance, entertainment devices, automotive and medical imaging systems. Find out more at www.ovt.com.

Safe-Harbor Language

Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the expected benefits, performance, capabilities, and potential market appeal, as well as anticipated timing of mass production, of the OV8865 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 OV8865, customer acceptance, demand, and other risks detailed from time to time in OmniVision's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, OmniVision's annual report filed on Form 10-K and quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. OmniVision expressly disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

OmniVision® and the OmniVision logo are registered trademarks of OmniVision Technologies, Inc. CameraChip™ and OmniBSI-2™ are trademarks of OmniVision Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

[1] Source: TSR "1^st Half 2012 CCD/CMOS Area Image Sensor Market Analysis" June 2012

SOURCE OmniVision Technologies, Inc.