Apple has dropped its plans to use resin-coated copper for logic boards in next year’s iPhone 17 lineup, according to an X post by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Update: Due to the inability to meet Apple’s high-quality requirements, the new iPhone 17 in 2025 will not use RCC as the PCB motherboard material.
Kuo said resin-coated copper failed to meet Apple’s “high-quality requirements,” meaning the company has dropped its plans to adopt the material for thinner logic boards for use in the iPhone 17 models. At this point, it isn’t clear if Apple will reconsider using resin-coated copper for iPhone 18 models or later.
Resin-coated copper is a thin layer of copper foil coated with a resin, such as epoxy. Using the material allows for a thinner logic board, freeing up internal space for other components and sensors inside of future iPhones.
It had been rumored that Apple would use resin-coated copper inside at least one Apple Watch model this year, but there has been no word on whether or not that plan remains in the cards.
