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

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 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.