Apple to use cheaper battery in iPhone 12 series to offset 5G cost: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple is aiming at making a shift to the 5G technology, which is bound to add to the production cost of the iPhones.To offset this added cost, Apple will reportedly use cheaper battery boards in the upcoming iPhone 12 series and AirPods 3, according to  analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. As per Kuo’s note, Apple is moving to a simpler and smaller design with fewer layers for its battery. Kuo believes Apple will have to incur an extra $75 for every unit to incorporate the sub-6 GHz 5G support. The cost for millimetre-wave 5G can go up to $125 per unit. The analyst is of the opinion that Apple will not add up this enhanced cost to the device’s price tag but cut back on some of the component cost. [caption id=“attachment_7507531” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  Apple iPhone 11[/caption] The resultant hybrid battery board on the iPhone 12 device will reportedly be 40 to 50 per cent cheaper than the equivalent component part in the iPhone 11 series. This will be further challenged with the “iPhone 12s” lineup set to come out in 2021, where the firm will let go of the rigid-flex boards and adopt the soft board design. This is likely to shave off an additional 30 to 40 per cent cost from the price of the board present in the iPhone 12. Apple will reportedly be using the hybrid battery board for the 2020 AirPods as well. Additionally, Kuo says the AirPods 3 will come with an integrated system-in-package (SiP) circuit board similar to the AirPods Pro, thereby ditching the surface-mount technology (SMT) design seen in its predecessor, the AirPods 2. Apple is expected to launch its much-awaited **iPhone 12 lineup in October** this year, with the date oscillating between 13 October and 14th October. Also, the iOS 14 is likely to be released on 24 October.