OmniVision Launches Cost-Competitive 5-Megapixel CameraChip™ Sensor for Smartphones and Tablets

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV5648, a high-performance, low-cost 5-megapixel CameraChip sensor for smartphones and tablets. Using the latest 1.4-micron OmniBSI+ pixel architecture, the OV5648 is a technology upgrade of the highly successful OV5647. The new sensor combines a smaller die size with higher quality photography and high definition (HD) video, making it an attractive solution for mainstream mobile applications.

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"Industry research(1) has noted that 5-megapixel cameras remain crucial to the highly cost-competitive smartphone and tablet markets," said Henrik Miettinen, product marketing manager at OmniVision. "By utilizing our OmniBSI+ pixel architecture and optimizing the sensor design, we were able to reduce the chip size and cost while improving the pixel performance to deliver better image quality. Additionally, the sensor can fit into a 6 x 6 mm fixed focus module with a z-height of less than 4.5 mm. These benefits make the OV5648 a highly attractive upgrade offering for the fast-growing, high-volume, low-cost smartphone and tablet markets."

OmniVision's powerful new OmniBSI+ pixel architecture offers significant improvements over our original OmniBSI architecture, including a 60 percent increase in full-well capacity and a significant improvement in low-light performance. With OmniBSI+, the ¼-inch OV5648 is capable of capturing high quality still images as well as 720p HD video at 60 frames per second (FPS) and 1080p HD video at 30 FPS. The sensor supports a two-lane MIPI interface, and provides full-frame, windowed, or binned 10-bit images in RAW RGB format with complete user control over formatting and output transfer.

The OV5648 is currently sampling and is expected to enter mass production in the first 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 OV5648 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 OV5648, 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™, OmniBSI™ and, OmniBSI+™ 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.