AirPods ProSource: iMore

What you need to know

  • Apple is adding new technology to its AirPods.
  • It will combine system-in-package and flexible printed circuit boards.
  • The space-saving tech could also come to iPhone, leaving room for a bigger battery.

A new DigiTimes report says fresh AirPods technology could also help improve batter life in the future iPhones.

As reported by MacRumors:

DigiTimes today reports that Apple is looking to move towards the combined use of system-in-package (SiP) and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) in forthcoming ‌5G iPhone‌ handset battery modules, replacing the existing rigid-flex PCB solution it has relied on for years.

"Apple has incorporated the SiP+FPCB solution into its new AirPods series, and may apply the solution to battery modules for 5G iPhones partly because SiP can integrate multiple functions and allow more space for more components, the sources said, adding that SiP+FPCB can now rival well the rigid-flex board solution in terms of price-performance ratios due to successful cost control by Apple."

According to the report, previous Ming-Chi Kuo reports note that Apple has long been looking into new systems that could allow for larger capacity batteries. This example would allow Apple to combine the system-inpackage and the iPhone's flexible printed circuit board to save space.

A recent DigiTimes report says both new AirPods and new AirPods Pro are coming next year:

Apple is scheduled to roll out its third-generation AirPods series earbuds in the first half of 2021 followed by the launch of a new-generation AirPods Pro in the second half of next year, with related assemblers gearing up for production at their plants in Vietnam, according to industry sources.

Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple's next generation of regular AirPods may indeed feature the design of the AirPods Pro.