China-based vendors Oppo and Xiaomi Technology will adopt 3D sensing solutions for smartphones to be launched in 2018, with such solutions to be developed by Himax Technologies via cooperation with Qualcomm and the sensor modules to be produced by Truly Opto-Electronics, according to industry sources.

The cooperation efforts by Qualcomm, Himax and Truly Opto-Electronics will help upgrade significantly the hardware specifications of high-end models rolled out by China-based smartphone vendors in the coming year further enhancing their competitiveness, said the sources.

The facial recognition solutions co-developed by Qualcomm, Himax and Truly Opto-Electronics are expected to enter volume production in March-April 2018 at the earliest, indicated the sources.

Meanwhile, China's top smartphone vendor Huawei is reportedly cooperating with China-based Sunny Optical Technology to develop related 3D sensor solutions for its premier models, indicated the sources.

On the other hand, China-based touch panel and optical sensor supplier O-film Tech is reportedly gearing up its development of structured light solutions aiming to tap into the 3D sensor market in cooperation with local smartphone vendors, said the sources.

Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Lenovo were the top-five local vendors in China's smartphone market in the third quarter of 2017, according to Digitimes Research. Huawei led the top-five group by shipping 40 million smartphones in the quarter, followed by Xiaomi with 23 million units and Oppo with over 20 million units.