A brand new provide chain rumor claims that Apple will swap to thinner resin-coated copper motherboards for a future Apple Watch, echoing earlier experiences of the identical coming to the iPhone 17.
Resin-coated copper (RCC) is strictly what it says it’s — a skinny movie of copper, coated in resin. It replaces the usually inexperienced, gray or black nonconductive bonding sheet materials on motherboards. In October 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned Apple would undertake it for the iPhone as a result of it’s skinny, mild, and has advantages in manufacturing.
And now, in response to Digtimes, unspecified sources within the supply chain say that this identical RCC expertise is for use in no less than one forthcoming Apple Watch mannequin. It is not identified whether or not this can definitely imply the 2024 fashions, however a major redesign has beforehand been rumored for the “Apple Watch Collection X.”
Digitimes is basing this partly on the information that Apple is as soon as once more utilizing a agency named Nan Ya PCB for the brand new Apple Watch. The corporate is rumored to have beforehand labored with Apple on different space-saving designs for the Apple Watch.
The swap to a thinner motherboard with RCC just isn’t prone to imply that the general Apple Watch chassis shall be slimmer. As a substitute, the distinction in width shall be vital in how way more house it offers inside the Apple Watch case for different parts.
That may match with how Apple is often reported to be attempting to suit a blood pressure monitoring sensor into the Apple Watch. And, there’s at all times a requirement for an even bigger battery.
Be aware that Digitimes has a powerful observe file for its provide chain sources. It has a considerably poorer one for the conclusions it attracts about Apple’s plans.
One motive to doubt that the thinner motherboard shall be used within the 2025 Apple Watch Collection X, is that it would not match with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s previously-reported timescale. Whereas Kuo was talking solely about the usage of RCC within the iPhone, he mentioned it could take till the third calendar quarter of 2024 — which isn’t almost quickly sufficient for fall merchandise.
In line with Kuo, it’s anticipated to take that lengthy to counter RCC’s inherent fragility. The analyst expects that will probably be utilized in 2025’s iPhone 17 as an alternative.