Introduction: Solving Plastic Lens Thermal and Resolution Limitations
Smartphone OEMs, automotive camera suppliers, and consumer electronics manufacturers face a critical optical performance barrier: all-plastic lens stacks (6P, 7P, 8P) suffer from thermal expansion (focus shift at 40-60°C), limited refractive index (constraining light intake and F-number), and insufficient correction for chromatic aberration as image sensors exceed 50MP and 1/1.3″ format. For flagship smartphones demanding thinner camera bumps, larger apertures (F/1.4-F/1.8), and 8K video recording, plastic-only solutions cannot meet quality targets without increasing height. Professional all-glass lenses offer superior optical performance but remain high-cost and low-volume (dominated by Japanese and German giants). The solution lies in the 1G6P lens—a glass-plastic hybrid design combining 1 precision glass element with 6 plastic aspherical lenses, delivering greater light intake (lower F-number), superior thermal stability (glass CTE 8-10 ppm/°C vs. plastic 50-70 ppm/°C), reduced chromatic aberration, and 0.3mm thinner module height compared to mainstream 7P all-plastic lenses. This report provides a comprehensive forecast of adoption trends, manufacturing technology segmentation, application drivers, and flagship smartphone penetration through 2032.
Global Leading Market Research Publisher QYResearch announces the release of its latest report ”1G6P Lens – Global Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2026-2032″ . Based on current situation and impact historical analysis (2021-2025) and forecast calculations (2026-2032), this report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global 1G6P Lens market, including market size, share, demand, industry development status, and forecasts for the next few years.
The global market for 1G6P Lens was estimated to be worth US746millionin2025andisprojectedtoreachUS746millionin2025andisprojectedtoreachUS 2,078 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 16.0% from 2026 to 2032. In 2024, global production of 1G6P lenses reached approximately 91.83 million units, with an average selling price of approximately US$ 8.12 per unit (estimated). This updated valuation (Q2 2026 data) reflects accelerated adoption in flagship smartphones (main rear camera, ultra-wide, telephoto) and automotive ADAS forward-facing cameras requiring thermal stability.
Product Definition & Optical Technology Context
Optical lenses can be divided into three categories according to design technology: plastic lenses, glass lenses and glass-plastic hybrid lenses. Plastic lenses have the lowest industrial difficulty and cost, and have good mass production capabilities, but their thermal expansion coefficient is too low and their adaptability to the environment is poor. They are often used in daily life occasions such as mobile phone cameras and digital cameras. Glass lenses have complex processes, good light transmittance and stability, and are often used in professional equipment such as SLR cameras and high-end scanners. The current market is monopolized by several international giants. Glass-plastic hybrid lenses have reduced costs while ensuring product performance and stability. Various indicators are between plastic lenses and glass lenses, and are suitable for use in many fields such as vehicles, digital cameras, and security monitoring. The 1G6P glass-plastic hybrid lens achieves greater light intake and better background dispersion effects through the combination of 1 layer of glass lenses and 6 layers of plastic lenses, thereby improving the photo effect.
According to Lianchuang Electronics data, the thickness of the 1G6P glass-plastic hybrid lens is 0.3mm thinner than the mainstream 7P lens. Lenses continue to upgrade, and there is limited room for improvement in plastic lenses. Glass-plastic hybrid lenses are expected to become a new trend. Glass-plastic hybrid lenses have been widely used in surveillance security, digital cameras, SLR cameras, etc., and are expected to be used in the main camera of high-end flagship models.
Key Technical Advantages: 1G6P vs. 7P All-Plastic & All-Glass:
| Parameter | 1G6P Hybrid | 7P All-Plastic | All-Glass (SLR-grade) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Focus Shift (40°C to 60°C) | Minimal (glass front element stabilizes) | Significant (15-30 µm defocus) | Negligible |
| Module Height | 5.5-6.5mm | 6.0-7.0mm (0.3mm thinner) | N/A (separate lens) |
| Maximum Aperture (F-number) | F/1.4-1.8 achievable | F/1.8-2.2 typical | F/1.2-1.8 |
| Chromatic Aberration | Well-corrected (glass low dispersion) | Moderate (extra elements needed) | Excellent |
| Mass Production Scalability | Medium-High | High (injection molding) | Low (grinding/polishing) |
| Cost per Lens (10M+ volume) | $5-12 | $2-6 | $15-50+ |
【Get a free sample PDF of this report (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart)】
https://www.qyresearch.com/reports/6092713/1g6p-lens
Technical Classification & Product Segmentation
The 1G6P Lens market is segmented as below:
Segment by Manufacturing Technology
- GMO (Glass Mold Optic) Technology – Precision glass molding (heated glass preform pressed into aspherical mold). Higher precision, glass surface quality, lower volume (mold wear limits throughput), higher cost ($2-5 per glass element). Used for high-end flagship smartphones (Samsung Galaxy Ultra, Xiaomi Ultra, Oppo Find, Vivo X). Market share: 60-65%.
- WLG (Wafer-Level Glass) Technology – Semiconductor-like process (glass wafers etched/replicated in arrays producing thousands of lens elements per wafer). Lower cost per element (higher arrays), lower precision initially (improving), higher NRE (non-recurring engineering) tooling. Emerging (AAC Technologies, LianChuang). Market share: 35-40% (increasing as yields improve).
Segment by End-Use Application
- Smartphones & Cameras – Main rear camera (wide-angle), ultra-wide, telephoto, periscope, front-facing selfie. Largest segment (70-75% of volume). Premium flagship smartphones ($600+ price point).
- Smart Cars – ADAS forward-facing cameras (80-120° FOV, require -40°C to +105°C operation), surround-view/side cameras, DMS (driver monitoring), in-cabin monitoring. Second largest (10-15%).
- Smart Homes & Security – IP cameras, surveillance (outdoor/indoor), video doorbells, robot vacuum navigation cameras. 5-10%.
- Others (UAVs/Drones) – Payload cameras for aerial photography, inspection,agricultural mapping. 3-5%.
Key Players & Competitive Landscape
Concentrated Asian supply chain (Japanese, Korean, Chinese lens/module manufacturers):
- Nidec (Japan) – Precision glass molding (GMO) and hybrid lens assembly. Automotive cameras (ADAS), smartphone camera actuators (VCM). Supplies tier-1 Chinese smartphone OEMs.
- LG Innotek (Korea) – Leading smartphone camera module integrator (Apple iPhone main supplier). Develops 1G6P hybrid lens assembly (glass element sourced). Supplies Apple (iPhone Pro series).
- TOYOTEC (Japan) – Glass molding specialist (hybrid lens glass elements). Automotive and industrial applications.
- Maxell (Japan) – Hybrid lens manufacturing (consumer electronics, automotive, industrial).
- Sunny Automotive (China, subsidiary of Sunny Optical) – Automotive hybrid lens (ADAS, surround view, DMS). Leading Chinese automotive camera lens supplier.
- AAC Technologies (China) – WLG (Wafer-Level Glass) technology developer. Hybrid lens (1G6P, 1G5P) for smartphone cameras. Claims lower cost, higher throughput vs. GMO.
- LARGAN Precision Co., Ltd (Taiwan) – Global leader in plastic lens injection molding (6P-9P). Also supplies hybrid lenses (glass inserts) for flagship smartphones (Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo).
- LianChuang Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (China) – Chinese smartphone camera module manufacturer (domestic smartphone OEMs). Hybrid lens (1G6P) for Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Honor, Huawei.
- Ofilm (China) – Camera module integrator and lens manufacturer (smartphone, automotive, security). Hybrid lens capability.
- Jiaxing ZMAX Optech Co., Ltd. (China) – Chinese hybrid lens manufacturer (smartphone, automotive).
- Union Optech Co., Ltd. (China) – Optical lens (security, automotive, smartphone). Hybrid lens.
- DongGuan YuTong Optical Technology Co., Ltd. (China) – Chinese lens manufacturer (consumer electronics).
Recent Industry Developments (Last 6 Months – March to September 2026)
- May 2026: Apple iPhone 17 Pro (expected launch September 2026) supply chain leaks confirm 1G6P hybrid lens for main wide-angle camera (48MP, 1/1.3″ sensor). LG Innotek (module integrator), LARGAN Precision (lens design/hybrid elements). Replaces 7P all-plastic (iPhone 15/16 Pro). Glass first element prevents focus shift during video recording at elevated temperatures.
- July 2026: Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) announced mass production readiness for 2G6P (2 glass + 6 plastic) hybrid lens for 2027 flagship (Galaxy S26 Ultra, 200MP 1/1.1″ sensor). Dual glass elements improve light intake and flare reduction at 200MP resolution. GMO technology.
- Technical challenge identified by QYResearch field surveys (August 2026): Glass element centration/decentration during assembly reduces optical performance (MTF, modulation transfer function) more severely than all-plastic lenses. Production data from 85 smartphone camera module lines:
- 7P all-plastic assembly: centration tolerance ±10-15 µm, yield 90-95%
- 1G6P hybrid assembly: centration tolerance ±3-5 µm (tighter), yield 70-85%
- Active Alignment (AA, lens shifted relative to image sensor during assembly, active real-time focusing, compensates for decentration) improves yield to 85-92%, adds $0.50-1.00 per module cost. All flagship 1G6P lenses use AA.
Industry Layering: GMO vs. WLG Manufacturing Technology for 1G6P Glass Elements
| Technology | Precision (Surface Form Error) | Cost per Glass Element (10M+ volume) | Tooling/Mold Life | NRE (Tooling) | Throughput | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMO (Glass Mold Optic) | High (<50nm RMS) | $2.00-5.00 | 100,000-300,000 shots (mold wear, diamond-coated carbide) | $50k-150k per mold | Low (single-cavity progression, 10-30 sec/element) | 60-65% |
| WLG (Wafer-Level Glass) | Medium-High (100-200nm RMS, improving) | $0.50-1.50 (wafer yields 1,000-2,000 elements per 12″ wafer) | High (quartz/reusable masters) | $500k-2M (mask set) | High (wafer-scale parallel processing) | 35-40% |
Exclusive Observation: “1G6P Migration to Mid-Premium Smartphones ($400-600)”
In a proprietary QYSearch price-band analysis (July 2026), 1G6P lens adoption expanded:
- 2023-2024: Only $900+ flagship devices (Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Xiaomi 13 Ultra, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- 2025-2026: $600-900 premium tier (Xiaomi 14T Pro, OnePlus 12, Vivo X100)
- 2027 projected: 400−600mid−premium(Xiaomi15T,OppoReno13Pro,Honor300Pro)Driver:WLGtechnologyreducingglasselementcostto400−600mid−premium(Xiaomi15T,OppoReno13Pro,Honor300Pro)Driver:WLGtechnologyreducingglasselementcostto0.50-1.00 (from $2-5 GMO). AAC Technologies WLG enabling lower-cost 1G6P.
Policy & Regional Dynamics
- China: MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) domestic lens supply chain localization. Domestic Chinese OEMs (Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Honor) prefer LianChuang, Ofilm, Union Optech, YuTong, Sunny Optical, AAC Technologies over Japanese (Nidec, TOYOTEC) for hybrid lenses.
- South Korea: Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) and LG Innotek expand GMO capacity (2025-2027) to reduce reliance on Japanese GMO suppliers. Government R&D subsidy ₩70 billion ($50 million) for aspherical glass molding equipment.
- Japan: Nidec, TOYOTEC maintain GMO leadership. Japanese government “Green Innovation Fund” supports high-precision glass molding automation (yield improvement, mold life extension).
Conclusion & Outlook
The 1G6P lens market is positioned for very high 16%+ CAGR growth (2026-2032), driven by flagship smartphone main camera adoption (thermal stability for 8K video, higher resolution sensors, thinner camera bumps), automotive ADAS camera requirements (temperature cycling -40°C to +105°C without defocus), and WLG cost reduction enabling mid-premium devices. GMO technology remains preferred for highest precision (ultra-flagship devices). WLG technology gains share in mid-premium (cost advantage, improving yields). The next frontier is 2G6P and 1G7P for 1-inch sensors and periscope telephoto (200mm+ equivalent focal length). Manufacturers investing in active alignment (AA) assembly efficiency (cycle time reduction, multi-lane alignment), WLG wafer replication yield improvement (>90%), and glass molding mold life extension (diamond-like carbon coatings) will lead smartphone, automotive, and security hybrid lens supply chains.
Contact Us:
If you have any queries regarding this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:
QY Research Inc.
Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 369 City of Industry CA 91748 United States
EN: https://www.qyresearch.com
E-mail: global@qyresearch.com
Tel: 001-626-842-1666(US)
JP: https://www.qyresearch.co.jp
