Apple to Use ‘Fan-Out’ Technology to Make iPhone 7 Thinner

Many expect that the iPhone 7 will be the first iPhone to ditch the headphone jack, saving precious space inside the device and allowing Apple to make it thinner.

According to recent reports, however, removing the headphone jack isn’t the only step that Apple’s taking to try and save internal space. The company is expected to use a new “fan-out” packaging technology to try and save internal space, maximizing the amount of room inside the phone’s case.

Specifically, Apple is using the fan-out technology for the antenna switching module and the radio frequency chip, a feature that essentially allows users to switch between LTE and other antennas, such as GSM or CDMA.

In technical terms, fan out technology basically increases the number of I/O terminals within a packaging by pulling out the wiring of those I/O terminals to outside of the semiconductor die. The technology was developed because of the fact that as semiconductor chips become thinner, manufacturers are having difficulty increasing the number of I/O terminals. Manufacturers don’t want to increase chip sizes just to increase the number of I/O terminals, so they’re using fan-0ut packaging tech to do so instead.

In layman’s terms, Apple is able to fit more components inside of a single packaging, while still ensuring that there is minimal interference in communication. The iPhone 7 will reportedly be the first device to make use of fan-out packaging, however it’s likely that more devices will use it as time goes on.

On top of that, some reports suggest that the radio frequency chips built into the phone will actually be composed of two chips in a single package rather than two chips printed onto a single circuit board.

It’s important to note that even if the iPhone 7 is thinner than ever before, it’s unlikely it will be vastly thinner than the iPhone 6s. Most recent rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 will have a ‘similar thickness’ to the iPhone 6s, especially considering the fact that reported iPhone 7 cases have more or less fit on the iPhone 6s.

Apart from using fan-out technology, there have been plenty of rumors concerning the iPhone 7 and what it will look like. Most suggest that it will have a very similar design to the iPhone 6s, although considering the fact that this will be a more important update rather than an ‘s’ iteration, we should expect at least some changes to the design of the phone.

On top of design changes, rumors suggest that we will also finally get an improvement to the iPhone’s battery life. The battery in the iPhone 7 will reportedly be 7.04 watt-hours, rather than the 6.61 watt-hour battery found in the iPhone 6s. Of course, it’s impossible to know whether or not that will actually result in improved battery – the device itself may draw more power, but it is a good sign.

Some reports even indicate that the iPhone 7 will include dual cameras. No matter what you think of Apple or the iPhone in general, the device has always been hailed as having one of the better cameras of any smartphone. The camera has been improved over time throughout the history of the iPhone, and while some argue that Apple has slacked a little in keeping up megapixel counts, the fact remains that the camera is still an excellent one. According to the reports, the dual camera will actually only be featured on some iPhone models, however it’s not known exactly which ones.

Thankfully, reports also indicate that the camera module will be smaller in the iPhone 7, ensuring that the camera can sit flush with the back of the iPhone, rather than protruding like it did in the iPhone 6s. The protruding camera was one of the biggest criticisms many had with the design of the otherwise beautiful iPhone 6 and 6s, so it’s nice to see Apple working to correct this.

Learn More: iPhone SE vs iPhone 7 – Should You Buy Now or Wait?

What are you looking forward to most regarding the iPhone 7? Does the phone need to be any thinner or is it thin enough? Let us know in the comments below. 

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]