According to a source with a good track record, Apple will start using a new material for its printed circuit boards (PCBs) starting in 2024. The tech giant plans to switch to using resin coated copper (RCC) foil as its new PCB material, departing from the current flexible copper substrate material. The move aims to make the PCBs even thinner, thereby freeing up valuable internal space in compact devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch. This could potentially pave the way for larger batteries or additional components.
The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to see an increase in size, from 6.1- and 6.7-inches to 6.3- and 6.9-inches, respectively. The need for more internal space is speculated to be partly due to plans for adding new components, such as a tetraprism telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a capacitive “Capture” button.
This latest revelation comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo, who was also the first to report that the iPhone 14 would retain the A15 Bionic chip. The A16 chip would be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models, according to the same source. The informant also recently shared that the A17 chip planned for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will use a fundamentally different manufacturing process compared to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro, ostensibly to cut costs.
