What you should know
– TF International’s Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the 2025 iPhone 17 line will feature Resin Coated Copper (RCC) mainboards.
– RCC mainboards can reduce thickness and create more internal space in iPhones, as well as make it easier to drill on the mainboard.
– However, RCC mainboards are currently too fragile to pass drop tests, so they won’t be used in the iPhone 16 line.
– Apple may consider using RCC mainboards in the iPhone 17 Pro line if Ajinomoto can improve their durability by the third quarter of 2025.
Full Story
Not everyone has received their iPhone 15 series pre-order yet, but let’s take a moment to look ahead to the iPhone 16 series. According to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record for accurate predictions, we can expect some changes when the 2024 iPhones hit the market. However, Kuo’s latest post on Medium informs us that the 2025 iPhone 17 line could bring even more significant advancements.
Kuo highlights that Resin Coated Copper (RCC) mainboards might be making their way to future iPhones. The use of RCC can reduce the thickness of the mainboard, potentially creating more internal space. Additionally, it could make it easier to drill on the board since RCC boards are free of fiber. However, there is a catch—the current RCC technology is too fragile to pass drop tests, preventing its inclusion in the upcoming iPhone 16 models.
The largest supplier of RCC material, Ajinomoto, holds the key to whether RCC can be used by Apple for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max/Ultra. Kuo suggests that if Ajinomoto can improve the durability of RCC by the third quarter of 2025, we might see this technology being employed by Apple. The extra internal space created by RCC could potentially enable larger battery capacities for the iPhone 17 Pro series. However, this is all contingent on RCC surviving drop tests and Ajinomoto’s ability to increase its durability.
The mainboard, or the motherboard, is one of the most important components inside an iPhone. It houses essential elements such as the processor, storage, memory, network connectivity, and camera. Given its critical role, Apple is not willing to make any changes to the mainboard until it is fully convinced about the durability of new technologies like RCC. So, while the iPhone 17 line shows promise, it’s essential to focus on the iPhone 15 for now and wait to see if RCC can meet the stringent drop test requirements in the future.
 mainboards in the iPhone 17 Pro line, but there are concerns about its fragility and ability to pass drop tests, so it may not be implemented until 2025.){kind=link}