New iPhones to Feature Redesigned Antenna, Better Indoor Navigation [Report]

Apple's next generation iPhones will feature a redesigned antenna and improved indoor navigation capabilities, reports TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The analyst says a shift in technology and suppliers will result in 'vast changes' to the antenna structure. The 2019 iPhones are expected to use modified-PI antennas rather than the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) antennas found in current generation devices. According to Kuo, production issues around LCP cause problems for high-frequency cellular transmission.

The shift to modified-PI antennas will bring cost and production improvements to Apple. For customers, its performance is basically the same as LCP for 4G LTE; however, due to new ultra-wideband upgrades the iPhone will get better indoor navigation. Those upgrades will increase Apple's overall cost of antenna technology by 10-20%.


Kuo also reports that supplier Career will lose iPhone orders this year and will not receive any new iPad or Apple Watch orders for the year either. iPhone shipments are expected to be flat year-over-year in the second half of 2019. Next year, Kuo expects Apple to ship a 5G iPhone which switches back to LCP antenna technology. It's believed that Apple will use a mix of 5G modems from Qualcomm and Samsung.

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[via 9to5Mac]