DigiTimes

Apple supplier ASE Technology is packaging core chips for at least two new Apple Watch models based on its system-in-package technology, and it will also incorporate the technology into third-generation AirPods, according to DigiTimes. Earlier this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that the new Apple Watch lineup will include a successor to the Apple Watch Series 5 and a...

Apple's iPhone cameras could in future adopt circuit boards based on liquid crystal polymer (LCP) in order to allow them to transmit high-resolution images at higher speeds, according to industry sources in Apple's supply chain (via DigiTimes). The use of LCP-based flexible PCBs in camera lens modules has been linked to the introduction of high-speed 5G in Apple's smartphone lineup, as well...

Apple's third-generation AirPods have once again been rumored to be launching in the first half of 2021, according to DigiTimes. The claim comes in a paywalled preview of an upcoming report indicating that Apple's supply chain partner Inventec will only account for 20% or less of assembly orders for the new model. Apple has multiple assembly partners for its AirPods in addition to Inventec,...

LiDAR is set to see "increasing penetration in consumer electronics devices," catalyzed by the upcoming iPhone 12, according to a new report by DigiTimes. LiDAR, which stands for "light detection and ranging," first appeared in the Apple product lineup in the 2020 iPad Pro. The technology was primarily used in the automotive industry before coming to handheld consumer technology products....

Apple will offer a new "dark blue" model in its upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, according to a new report today. ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro in Navy Blue concept via EverythingApplePro/Max Weinbach Hit-and-miss Taiwanese publication DigiTimes claims that a dark blue ‌iPhone‌ color will be available "for the first time" in addition to several new features and specification upgrades coming to Apple's...

MacBook sales in the third quarter have increased by a fifth compared to the same period last year, and Taiwan-based diode makers are seeing "robust demand" for MacBook parts as the trend for remote working continues to grow, according to a new report by DigiTimes. Recent sales of its MacBook devices, including MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups, have increased over 20% from a year earlier,...

Future 5G iPhone models could feature larger capacity batteries or more compact battery modules than those found in existing handsets, thanks to Apple's adoption of key integrative technologies first seen in the company's AirPods Pro wireless headphones. DigiTimes today reports that Apple is looking to move towards the combined use of system-in-package (SiP) and flexible printed circuit...

Last week, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple camera lens suppliers Genius Electronic Optical had discovered issues with cracking coatings on the wide-angle camera lens destined for the lower-end 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 12‌ models. Kuo noted that the issue was unlikely to have an impact on the iPhone 12 shipping schedule. Genius Electronic Optical has since refuted the report,...

This year's Apple Watch Series 6 is expected to feature an OLED screen like previous models, but a future model is likely to be the first Apple product to adopt MicroLED display technology, albeit not for another three to four years. That's the main takeaway reading between the lines of comments made by the chairman of Epistar, Taiwan's top LED producer, which is reportedly working on a...

Apple last week confirmed that its "‌iPhone‌ 12" launch will be delayed this year due to the ongoing global health crisis and restrictions on travel. Apple last year started selling iPhones in late September, but this year, Apple projects supply will be "available a few weeks later," suggesting a release sometime in October. We're expecting a total of four OLED iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and...

The Apple Watch Series 6 will add blood oxygen monitoring to its features list when it's launched later this year, according to a new report from DigiTimes. Apple Watch 6 will feature biosensors that can monitor sleeping conditions, detect blood oxygen and measure pulse rates, heartbeats and atrial fibrillation, and will also incorporate MEMS-based accelerometer and gyroscope, all allowing the ...

Apple will use super-thin rigid PCB boards provided by Tripod Technology in its upcoming mini LED-backlit iPads and MacBooks, according to a new report by DigiTimes. Apple's mini LED backlight modules will adopt three-layer rigid boards, which require higher flatness and hole density than general rigid PCBs to support mass transfer technology, with materials also having to achieve extremely...

Apple will launch a next-generation version of AirPods Pro in the second half of next year, according to a new report today. According to DigiTimes' sources, at least some of the next-gen ‌AirPods Pro‌ models will be assembled by Inventec Appliances in Vietnam, with current generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ manufacturers Luxshare and GoerTek also taking a share. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who...

Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup will feature 5G support for the first time, and several rumors have suggested that the new iPhones coming this year are expected to support both sub-6GHz and mmWave networks, which are two different 5G technologies that carriers are rolling out. mmWave, the fastest 5G technology, will be used in dense urban areas like major cities, while sub-6GHz networks will be...

Apple will release its first Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air by the end of 2020, according to a new DigiTimes report today. Taiwan's supply chain will begin shipping backlit units (BLUs) and other components for the next-generation MacBooks in the third quarter of the year, which could be interpreted as meaning anytime between now and September. As Apple is set to release...

Apple will "significantly increase" MacBook Pro orders with suppliers in the third quarter of this year as the back-to-school season kicks off, according to supply chain sources. DigiTimes reports that Apple is also set to respond to increasing sales in the creative market, with the number of professionals working from home expected to remain strong in the second half of the year as some...

Apple is rumored to be releasing a mini LED-backlit iPad Pro and a new mini-LED MacBook Pro series over the next 18 months, and the devices have just picked up two new suppliers, according to industry sources. DigiTimes today reports that two former Apple suppliers, Taiwan's Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect, have entered the supply chain to make the flexible printed circuit...

The latest shipment estimates for Apple's upcoming mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones are several million units lower than previously expected, which is intensifying competition among suppliers of AiP substrates, reports DigiTimes. Shipments of mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones slated for launch later this year are estimated to reach only 15-20 million units in 2020 compared to a previous supply chain estimate ...

Apple is widely expected to release its first 5G iPhones later this year, and multiple sources have indicated that these models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 modem, including analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the Nikkei Asian Review. To the contrary, a paywalled snippet from DigiTimes today claims that Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC will begin manufacturing A14 chips and Snapdragon ...

Apple is gearing up to launch new iMac and iPad models in the second half of this year, according to DigiTimes, casting uncertainty on whether we'll see a redesigned iMac at WWDC just 10 days from now as recently rumored. The second half of the year begins just over a week after the WWDC keynote, so it's possible we could see an announcement there with shipping happening a bit later, but Digi...