Apple Gains Supplier of Super-Thin Circuit Boards for Upcoming Mini LED iPads and MacBooks

[MacRumors]

Apple will use super-thin rigid PCB boards provided by Tripod Technology in its upcoming mini LED-backlit iPads and MacBooks, according to a new report by DigiTimes.

Apple's mini LED backlight modules will adopt three-layer rigid boards, which require higher flatness and hole density than general rigid PCBs to support mass transfer technology, with materials also having to achieve extremely low shrinkage/expansion rates, the sources said.

According to today's report, Apple has brought Tripod into the supply chain for Apple's forthcoming mini LED devices because of the manufacturer's good cost control capability and production management.

The manufacturer will reportedly share orders for mini LED backlight modules with leading Taiwanese PCB supplier Zhen Ding Technology, but it will need to purchase high-precision drilling machines and other automation equipment to meet the requirement. The supplier is said to be beginning trial production of sample super-thin rigid boards, and could start volume production in early 2021.

Apple is eager to adopt mini-LED technology as it allows for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and dynamic range, and local dimming for truer blacks.

Apple has six mini-LED products in the works that are set to debut in 2020 and 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple is said to be debuting the technology in a 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ for launch later this year, followed by a 27-inch iMac Pro, a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌, a 10.2.-inch iPad, and a 7.9-inch ‌‌iPad‌‌ mini.

Kuo hasn't given projected launch dates for the other devices with the exception of the ‌‌iMac Pro‌‌, which Kuo expects to launch in the fourth quarter of 2020, and the 7.9-inch ‌‌iPad‌‌ mini, which he says will launch in 2020.

Article Link: Apple Gains Supplier of Super-Thin Circuit Boards for Upcoming Mini LED iPads and MacBooks

 

[LiE_]

Apple are going to crush it in the next few years with ARM and new designs for iMac/Macbook using the mini LED panels.

 

[EugW]

Money already in Apple Wallet for 11” iPad Pro. 5G and mini-LED required though.

Not interested at all in the 12.9”.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

Quote from Jony Ive, "They are so thin, just breathing on them will break them, so they are revolutionary and we'll have the highest repair costs in the industry once again! Problem solved. This is the future of Apple."

 

[chasing.stoke]

Don't cover the camera with anything, it may in fact break all the way through to the PCB

 

[Seanm87]

I thought the new iPad mini was going to be 8.5inches and what about the new 10.8 inch iPad that’s been rumoured?

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

So that's where the new profit margins on MacBooks are going

 

[GeoStructural]

My wallet is ready for that new iPad Pro. I am going to be broke but happy this Christmas.

 

[JosephAW]

They can be as thin as they want but make sure they are flexible. Don't want another flex gate.

 

[Freida]

Lets hope the shell is rigid too. Thats all I'm waiting for

 

[MacBH928]

too thin=more prone to failure?

 

[elbowrm]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the term "higher flatness..."

 

[twocents]

My wallet is ready for that new iPad Pro. I am going to be broke but happy this Christmas.

yeah I just noticed that my iPad has a few rows of flickering pixels directly above the home button. Even more of a reason to adopt the new display tech

 

[lakerchick4life]

My wallet is ready for that new iPad Pro. I am going to be broke but happy this Christmas.

Im hoping the 12.9 inch gets released later this year..it would be weird for apple to release two ipad pros in the same year but Im still crossing my fingers..that is the ipad that I want, Id trade in my 2018 11 inch model for that one

 

[entropys]

yeah I just noticed that my iPad has a few rows of flickering pixels directly above the home button. Even more of a reason to adopt the new display tech

Mine has that stage light effect about seven cm above the home button. Love it if Apple did a recall on that.

 

[twocents]

Mine has that stage light effect about seven cm above the home button. Love it if Apple did a recall on that.

Sorry to hear that, hope there is a reasonable solution for you if not. Display issues are the most aggravating since it is always in your face, haha. It is particularly disappointing with the 10.5 Pro being otherwise the pinnacle of any device Apple has produced with the home button: plenty capable processor and ram combo, 120hz True Tone display, 2nd gen Touch ID sensor, adequate iPhone 7 equivalent cameras, thin and refined design,and an actually tasteful looking LTE antenna bar on the back.