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 Silicon Teal Feature
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.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

a_politis Avatar
31 months ago
For those who want new iPad mini, I suggest to wait a few more years. The next generations iPhone pro max is just 1-2 inches away.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
31 months ago
well hopefully it'll allow them to make their anemic batteries grow a bit
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DominikHoffmann Avatar
31 months ago
I don’t want a larger phone than my iPhone 15 Pro.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tyr2 Avatar
31 months ago
If the regular Pro grows to 6.3 inches, that clearly leaves plenty of space for a Pro Mini to fit into the lineup!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
31 months ago
I hope they increase the price also ???
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
31 months ago
Hoping this also means they can make smaller pro phones with full features.

I get the camera modules are in shorter supply, however we took a huge step back by splitting camera specifications on pro phones and only having it in the Max.

One HUGE reason I buy pro models on the iOS side is because ( unlike Android phones ) I could ( in the past ) get the best cameras in the smaller devices too.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)