Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of iPhones next month - the iPhone 12 series. While many new features have already been revealed in advance, it remains unclear how Apple plans to shape the future of the 5G iPhone. Now there are signs of a major change.
The battery issue is brought up again every year. While many users are dissatisfied with the iPhone's battery life, there are of course those who ignore the issue completely. But Apple seems to be pursuing a new plan. Future 5G iPhone models could have batteries with a larger capacity or more compact battery modules. This would be made possible by the implementation of the AirPods Pro technology. The Taiwanese news site DigiTimes reports that Apple is aiming for the combined use of system-in-package (SiP) and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) in future battery modules for 5G iPhones. This would replace the existing rigid-flexible circuit board solution that has been used for years. This is what the report:
Future 5G iPhone devices could be cheaper
Apple has incorporated the SiP+FPCB solution into its new AirPod series and may also apply the solution to battery modules for 5G iPhones, in part because SiP can integrate multiple functions and provide more space for more components, the sources said, adding that due to Apple's successful cost control, SiP+FPCB can now compete well with the rigid-flex PCB solution in terms of price-performance ratio.
This could result in longer battery life and also make the devices cheaper. The well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has long predicted that Apple will be increasingly able to develop new systems for batteries with larger capacities as the company packs more features into phones that consume significantly more power.
AirPods 3 to be smaller
These new features obviously increase costs, so Apple has tried to introduce cost-cutting hybrid battery boards for the "iPhone 12S" lineup in 2021. These could either be smaller and offer the same runtime or remain the same size and increase the lifespan. A combination of SiP+FPCB is another potential solution that Apple is reportedly pursuing. Kuo has already announced new third-generation AirPods for the first half of 2021 predicted, which are supposed to adopt the form factor of the AirPods Pro. The reason for this would be the use of this technology, which is already found in the AirPods Pro. Unlike the Pro version, however, the AirPods 3 would not have an in-ear design but would only have shorter stems. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
