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.

iphone 15 a16 bionic
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.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17

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Top Rated Comments

zilchfox Avatar
26 weeks ago

Apple seems to not be able to do anything on time lol..
Easy to say that behind a screen and keyboard.

Setbacks are also not a new thing in general, at Apple or any company. Sometimes it requires going back to the drawing board. I for one appreciate delays, because it means they’re doing everything they can to make it right, rather than release a subpar product.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mongobongo Avatar
26 weeks ago

Apple seems to not be able to do anything on time lol..
So we are blaming Apple for delaying unannounced features now?

If these *rumours* are true, they have determined that this technology doesn’t meet their quality requirements and stopped it well over a year before it was supposed to come out, I’d say that’s on time by a wide margin.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Will Co Avatar
26 weeks ago
And this is why Apple, nor any other sensible company, doesn't discuss the details of their R&D. There are always many iterations, wrong turns and failures before a successful idea emerges from the mass of thinking, testing and sometimes just plain old good luck that is part of the process of innovation. Some leaker suggests they might know something about a product or design feature that might or might not exist. It's interesting stuff. I love these little snippets. But let's not get too heated about how Apple is crap etc etc.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
26 weeks ago
so a "leaker" corrects their "leaks" and people here comment on how Apple can't release anything anymore ...
gotta love the internet ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfzen21 Avatar
26 weeks ago
This is disastrous for Apple and probably why the stock dropped, at time of writing, 2.7% today. /s/ o_O
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThisIsMike Avatar
26 weeks ago
I recently coated myself in a resin-coated copper and I found the results to be exemplary.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)