Apple’s 2024 fall event officially took place earlier, highlighting the launch of the new iPhone 16 series, along with other products like the Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4. According to CEO Tim Cook, the next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence, marking the beginning of an exciting new era.

Apple and global tech companies are in a race to integrate AI into their products, with smartphones anticipated to be one of the key competitive arenas.

Apple’s AI software, Apple Intelligence, is set to enhance Siri and improve functionalities like object recognition and identification through the phone’s camera, per sources cited in a report from Reuters.

A test version of Apple Intelligence will launch next month for U.S. English users, with other localized English versions set to follow in December. Additional language versions, including Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish, are anticipated for next year. It is worth noting that Apple has not yet announced an AI partner in China for the iPhone 16 series.

Apple stated that improvements, including enhancements to Siri, will be phased in over time but did not provide a timeline for moving beyond the test phase.

Notably, Apple’s event occurred just hours before Huawei’s launch of a tri-fold phone, highlighting the competitive challenge Apple faces.

In contrast, Huawei’s website revealed on Monday that it had already received over 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone before its official release.

This underscores Huawei’s ability to withstand U.S. sanctions and bolsters its competitive position against Apple in China, where consumers are enthusiastic about AI features and willing to pay a premium for them, according to a Reuters report.

• iPhone16

The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen. Both models are equipped with the A18 chip built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, which reportedly offers a 30% boost in CPU performance compared to the A16 chip used in iPhone 15. Additionally, they come with increased battery capacity and enhanced cooling capabilities.

Moreover, the latest iPhone chips are based on the newest Arm architecture, which includes specialized features aimed at accelerating AI applications.

Notably, Apple has introduced an “Action Button” on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which supports various functions like camera, flashlight, Focus mode, translation, magnifier, and voice memos.

The higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are crafted from titanium and come with enhanced AI features, including suggestions for optimizing photo shoots and advanced audio-editing tools designed for professional video production.

Still, a previous report from Bloomberg has also addressed concerns over the slow rollout with its AI platform, which may put iPhone 16 “Supercycle” in doubt.

• New Apple Watches and Airpods

Apple also unveiled new Watches and AirPods with health-focused capabilities, as well as hardware-design improvements.

Apple highlighted the Watch’s ability to discover longer-term health conditions such as sleep apnea as well as detecting and responding to emergencies such as a fall.

For the new AirPods, there are two versions: a standard model and a version with active noise cancellation. As part of the AirPods update, Apple’s introduced hearing-aid features are under review by U.S. regulators.

Read more

• [News] iPhone 16 “Supercycle” in Doubt? Concerns Rise Over Slow Rollout with its AI Platform
• [News] Fuelled by AI Features, Apple’s iPhone 16 Shipments Reportedly to Increase by 10%

(Photo credit: Apple)

According to a report from South Korean media outlet HankYung, Samsung plans to unveil its next-generation flagship Galaxy S25 series in January 2025, including the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and the top-tier Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Contrary to earlier rumors of a dual-processor strategy which offers different versions with either Exynos 2500 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Samsung is reportedly equipping the entire S25 series with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor.

The report highlights that this shift is driven by Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16, which is being promoted as the first AI-centric smartphone, placing Samsung at a pivotal moment in the competition for AI smartphone leadership.

Given that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 boasts over a 30% improvement in AI performance compared to its predecessor and slightly outperforms the Exynos 2500, Samsung has opted to play it safe by adopting the latest Snapdragon chip, ensuring the S25 series to maximize its AI capabilities.

Previous rumors had also suggested that Samsung considered implementing a three-way strategy for its 2025 S25 series, which would have included MediaTek’s Dimensity chipset alongside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.

As per a report from SamMobile, Samsung’s strategy to include multiple chipset suppliers was intended to prevent over-reliance on Qualcomm, which could limit their ability to negotiate lower prices.

However, a previous report by SamMobile points out that, since MediaTek’s Dimensity chips have traditionally only been used in Samsung’s mid-to-low-end devices, integrating them into the premium S series would have presented a significant challenge in terms of market acceptance.

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• [News] Samsung Rumored to Adopt MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 in Galaxy S25
• [News] Samsung Adopts Dimensity 9300+ Instead of Snapdragon, the First Time for Its Flagship Tablet to Feature MediaTek AP

(Photo credit: Samsung)

On September 2, Huawei announced that it will hold its new product launch event on September 10, coinciding with Apple’s fall product launch, signaling the intense competition between these two smartphone giants. Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group (BG), hinted at the unveiling of a “disruptive product” on that day.

Richard Yu described the product as a groundbreaking one that others may have envisioned but failed to create – an achievement of five years of dedication, which turns science fiction into reality.

He Gang, Huawei’s Consumer Business Group CEO, also emphasized the uniqueness of this upcoming product.

Per a report from the Economic Daily News, it is expected that Huawei will unveil its new flagship smartphone, the Mate70, at the upcoming product launch event, along with other new products such as a triple-foldable device and is anticipated to be priced over CNY 20,000 (approximately USD 2,800). This launch, hours after Apple’s event, is seen as a direct challenge to Apple’s new iPhone 16 series.

Notably, despite being restricted by U.S. sanctions from conducting business with Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers, Huawei continues to collaborate closely with Taiwanese companies in key component areas not affected by these restrictions.

Among these, Largan Precision not only supplies the main camera lenses for the iPhone 16 series but also provides high-end camera lenses for Huawei’s flagship devices. With Huawei’s new product launch clashing with Apple’s, Largan Precision stands to benefit significantly from its role with both companies.

On the other hand, according to a report from Chinese media Sina, Huawei’s new patent for the triple-foldable device reveals additional design details, including three housings, two hinges, and a flexible screen.

The hinges allow the housings to fold and unfold relative to each other, with a special design that reduces thickness and weight when folded.

Huawei’s foldable devices primarily depend on key bearing components supplied by Fositek. Recently, Huawei is said to have extended its exclusive supply contract with Fositek, signaling that Fositek will exclusively provide bearings for Huawei’s triple-foldable device.

Compared to the traditional smartphone market, which easily reaches sales volumes of over one billion units, TrendForce estimated that the shipments of foldable phones are expected to reach 17.8 million units in 2024, making up only 1.5% of the smartphone market. Despite high repair rates and costs, market penetration is projected to climb to 4.8% by 2028.

Read more

• [News] Huawei’s Net Profit in 1H24 Hit Record High amid U.S. Sanctions, Surpassing CNY 50 Billion for the First Time
• [News] Huawei Unveils Tri-folding Phone Details, Reportedly Launching in September

(Photo credit: Huawei)

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 in September 2023, with minimal changes anticipated in its PCB design. According to research from TrendForce, the iPhone 16, set to launch in 2024, is projected to adopt the use of RCC (Resin Coated Copper) material for its mainboard to reduce the device’s thickness.

TrendForce’s analysis is as follows:

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature RFPCB for its periscope lens, while the iPhone 16 Pro series will utilize RCC for its mainboard.

Looking first at the primary changes in the iPhone 15’s PCB, constrained by factors such as device dimensions and product pricing, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max will incorporate a periscope lens. In contrast to the conventional FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) used in typical lenses, the iPhone 15’s periscope lens will adopt RFPCB (Rigid-Flex Printed Circuit Board) to better utilize space and control the device’s thickness.

Currently, iPhones employ SLP (Substrate-Like PCB) for their mainboards. To achieve a thinner device profile, Apple is planning to introduce RCC as the mainboard material for the iPhone 16 Pro series, scheduled for the latter half of 2024. This will involve using 2 to 8 layers of RCC within the 18 to 20 layers of SLP.

However, based on supply chain information, RCC has not yet passed drop tests, leading to potential fractures between SLP layers. If this issue persists beyond the end of 2023, the adoption of RCC might be postponed until the introduction of the iPhone 17, which could be expected in 2025.

The SLP architecture is moving closer to ABF substrates, while RCC can only replace a portion of the CCL layers.

Taking a closer look at RCC’s material characteristics, RCC involves applying semi-cured epoxy resin onto copper foil after heating. The main distinction between RCC and standard CCL (Copper Clad Laminate) lies in the absence of glass fiber cloth in RCC. RCC primarily consists of resin and copper foil, and it employs ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) instead of PP (Prepreg) as the insulating material between copper foil layers. RCC is also a material used in ABF substrates, indicating that SLP architecture is moving closer to ABF substrates.

Due to its lack of glass fiber cloth, RCC offers advantages such as reduced thickness and suitability for fine line designs. Its lower Dk (Dielectric constant) and Df (Dissipation Factor) characteristics contribute to high-frequency and high-speed transmission. However, due to its softer nature, RCC has poorer support capabilities, allowing it to only replace certain CCL layers.

It is expected that Ajinomoto will have a monopoly in the iPhone RCC market in 2024, with Taiwanese manufacturers potentially becoming suppliers in 2025.

In the supply chain realm, since ABF substrates also involve RCC, Ajinomoto, a primary ABF supplier, is projected to become the exclusive supplier of iPhone RCC materials in 2024. ITEQ, an early adopter of RCC materials, successfully developed RCC production lines by the end of 2021, making it the first Taiwanese CCL manufacturer to do so. As such, it stands a chance of becoming the second supplier.

EMC is a major supplier of iPhone mainboard CCL materials, with an estimated market share of around 95% in 2023. TSEC also successfully developed RCC materials in 2022, indicating that both ITEQ and EMC have potential to enter the iPhone RCC supply chain in 2025. Other companies, including Japanese firms Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Panasonic, and Korean company Doosan Electronics, have also developed RCC materials, indicating an interest in becoming part of the iPhone RCC supply chain.