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Apple Looking to Save Space in Future iPhones With Thinner Circuit Boards

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Apple will begin using a new material to make its printed circuit boards thinner starting next year, according to a source with a good track record.

Apple-Silicon-Teal-Feature.jpg

Apple will reportedly switch to using resin coated copper (RCC) foil as a new printed circuit board (PCB) material in 2024. The change will apparently allow Apple to make its PCBs even thinner. Current iPhone PCBs are made from a flexible copper substrate material. A thinner PCB could free up valuable space inside compact devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch to provide more room for larger batteries or other components.

The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to grow in size from 6.1- and 6.7-inches to 6.3- and 6.9-inches, respectively. The increase in size is believed to be partly due to a need for more internal space for additional components such as a tetraprism telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a capacitive "Capture" button.

The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo, who was first to report that the iPhone 14 would retain the A15 Bionic chip, with the A16 being exclusive to the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models. Most recently, the user said that the A17 chip designed for the iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus will be made using a fundamentally different manufacturing process to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro to cut costs.

Article Link: Apple Looking to Save Space in Future iPhones With Thinner Circuit Boards
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/26/apple-looking-to-save-space-with-thinner-pcbs/
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Will this not make them more fragile as well? Last month was the first time, since 2007, I’ve ever seen an iPhone main board damaged by an impact. This was on a 14 Pro that somebody was holding as they fell. Perhaps they are already thin and fragile and enough. What is to be gained with the minimal space savings of a thinner PCB? The PCB already takes up so little of the space inside an iPhone.
 
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If it brings some tangible value improvement to consumers- like more battery- great. But why do I suspect that we will eventually learn that this chip costs less to make/use but doesn't translate to lower pricing? In other words, I wonder if this just another round of even more margin expansion: shareholders delight... but let consumers eat cake.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
If it brings some tangible value improvement to consumers- like more battery- great. But why do I suspect that we will eventually learn that this chip costs less to make/use but doesn't translate to lower pricing? In other words, I wonder if this just another round of even more margin expansion: shareholders delight... but let consumers eat cake.
Click to expand...
There are other parts of the supply chain that increases in price that is not visible to us.
 
Hoping this also means they can make smaller pro phones with full features.

I get the camera modules are in shorter supply, however we took a huge step back by splitting camera specifications on pro phones and only having it in the Max.

One HUGE reason I buy pro models on the iOS side is because ( unlike Android phones ) I could ( in the past ) get the best cameras in the smaller devices too.
 
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MrRom92 said:
Will this not make them more fragile as well? Last month was the first time, since 2007, I’ve ever seen an iPhone main board damaged by an impact. This was on a 14 Pro that somebody was holding as they fell. Perhaps they are already thin and fragile and enough. What is to be gained with the minimal space savings of a thinner PCB? The PCB already takes up so little of the space inside an iPhone.
Click to expand...

I saw a board break on a coworkers 8 plus a few years ago. She dropped it on a tile floor from chest height and it sheared off the board near the haptic motor.

Screen and body were fine.
 
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sack_peak said:
There are other parts of the supply chain that increases in price that is not visible to us.
Click to expand...

Defend. Defend.

To mirror that, there are other parts of the supply chain that decrease in price too, not passed through to us. For example, SSD storage has plunged in last few years but Apple pricing remains the same.

In spite of the easily slung around word 'inflation' there is another word- 'deflation'- too. Yes, some things become more expensive and other things become less expensive... but Apple margin seems to only go UP.

As a consumers-first, (many) Apple products owner, I'd like to see more decisions made for us consumers vs. seemingly EVERY decision made for shareholders. Building up more goodwill motivates more purchases which can be another way to delight shareholders instead of harvesting every possible nickel in the shortest term.

Since I'm also a shareholder, I'm willing to sacrifice some short-term profit for more goodwill development on the expectations of goodwill driving more purchases in the longer run. I'd rather have the many dollars in the future sales hitting the top line vs. pinching a few nickels on something like materials choices in the costs tabulations.
 
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840quadra said:
Hoping this also means they can make smaller pro phones with full features.

I get the camera modules are in shorter supply, however we took a huge step back by splitting camera specifications on pro phones and only having it in the Max.

One HUGE reason I buy pro models on the iOS side is because ( unlike Android phones ) I could ( in the past ) get the best cameras in the smaller devices too.
Click to expand...
Yep! I considered the Pro Max for the extra battery and 120mm optical lens length.

I ultimately went with the Pro thought because I though I would use the 77mm and everything between that and the macro lens more than the 120mm.
 
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So... it wasn't ready for the 15 pro max so they just went for a thinner back glass? 😆
 
sack_peak said:
I work in supply chain so it isn't a defense but a grown up explanation of what is happening on the ground.
Click to expand...

Great. So from that same, grown-up, "on the ground" perspective, you see price decreases coming through too. When do those pass through to consumers? Because Apple margin only goes UP. To argue that that makes sense implies Apple is bad at negotiating for better pricing from supply chain suppliers. I suspect we ALL know that is not the case. In fact, that's part of what is making margin go UP.
 
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