Apple’s iPhones could, in the future, boast circuit boards based on liquid crystal polymer (LCP), which will allow them to transmit high-resolution at faster speeds.
A DigiTimes report, which is based on information from industry sources in Apple’s supply chain, says the use of LCP-based flexible PCBs in-camera lens modules has been linked to the introduction of high-speed 5G in Apple’s iPhone lineup, as well as the popularity of live-streamed video and augmented reality apps.
LCP PCBs may also be massively adopted in iPhone camera lens modules in the future to support high-speed image transmission, the sources said, reasoning that image data will be increasingly complicated in the 5G era and high-speed transmission will be needed to allow high-resolution images in live streaming and AR applications.
The information was included in a report covering the increased activity of Apple’s supply chain partners to provide volume production of mmWave antenna boards for iPhones in 2021. mmWave is the fastest 5G network technology currently being rolled out by carriers.
Apple is expected to release high-end 6.7 and 6.1-inch iPhones with triple-lens cameras, alongside new lower-end 5.4 and 6.1-inch iPhones that are expected to feature dual-lens cameras.
At least some of those handsets are expected to support mmWave, but the report doesn’t specify when the iPhone is expected to include LCP-based camera module PCBs.
