Apple’s new flagship iPhone 12 series is expected to ship with 5G network technology which inherently increases the production cost of the smartphone for the company. Renowned tech analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple does not plan to pass the high production cost on consumers by increasing the price of the new iPhone 12, but is pressing the suppliers for cost trimming.
In July, a Taiwanese publisher, DigiTimes reported that the 2020 iPhone 12 series will have two types of 5G network models: mmWave and sub-6GHz networks which will further increase the manufacturing cost of the upcoming smartphone series. Thus, the Cupertino tech giant is looking to cut costs in other components like the battery, to prevent an increase in retail price.
Apple Cutting Cost on Battery of iPhone 12
As mentioned earlier, the support of 5G technology in the new flagship iPhone series will increase its retail price. Kuo calculates that mmWave 5G technology will cost the company approximately $125-$135 and sub-6GHz 5G technology will cost around $75-$85.
Therefore, Kuo believes that Apple will make the biggest cost cut on the battery board by switching to a simpler and smaller design with fewer layers. The iPhone 12’s new hard and soft battery board would be 40 to 50 percent cheaper than the same part currently used in the iPhone 11 models.
Kuo also predicts that Apple would use only a soft battery board design in 2021 iPhone 12 models. This would further reduce the manufacturing cost by 30 to 40 percent of the smartphone’s board.
Another Apple analyst, @EverythingApplePro shared that the battery in the new iPhone series will be smaller across all the models. Based on information from a certification website, the leaker claimed that iPhone 12 Pro Max battery will be 3687 mAH which is a lot smaller than the current iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Rumor mills have also reported that Apple will not be shipping the headphones and a power adapter in the box of the new smartphone series. If true, the removal of accessories from the box might also help the company to keep the price of 5G iPhone 12 at an affordable level without increasing it.
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