Kuo: Apple Delays Change Aimed at Saving Space Inside Future iPhones

Apple no longer plans to use resin-coated copper for logic boards in iPhone 17 models next year, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.

Kuo said resin-coated copper failed to meet Apple's "high-quality requirements," leading to the company scrapping its plans to adopt the material for iPhone 17 models. It is unclear if Apple will revisit resin-coated copper for iPhone 18 models or later, but it appears that the material is at least a few years away from being used in iPhones.

Resin-coated copper is a thin layer of copper foil coated with a resin, such as an epoxy. The material would allow for a thinner logic board, which in turn would provide more internal space for other components and sensors in future iPhones.

It was also rumored that at least one new Apple Watch would use resin-coated copper this year, but it is unclear if that plan has been delayed too.