Apple will introduce changes to the 2019 iphone antennas

Ming-Chi Kuo, the popular TF Securities analyst, was issuing a new report on Apple's supply chain on Sunday regarding the next iPhone devices that the company will launch in 2019 and 2020. According to the analyst, The 2019 iPhones will feature "big changes" in the antenna structure due to a change in both providers and technology.

New antennas to improve the iPhone

Kuo explains that the 2019 iPhone will use a new Modified Polymer Antenna (MPI) structure, a claim he first made in November 2018. The analyst explains that the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are limited. for its liquid crystal polymer (LCP) antenna technology while production issues around the LCP cause problems in high frequency mobile transmission.

On the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, there are two top and two bottom antennas, all made of LCP. According to Kuo's prediction, the new iPhones arriving in the fall will be provided with a single MPI and LCP unit for the top antenna, and three MPI sets for the bottom antenna.

Kuo's note also addresses changes when it comes to suppliers. Murata supplies the current LCP units and will continue to supply the LCP antennas used in the top antenna. Joining them will be Avary / ZDT and Flexium, dividing orders 50/50 for the top of MPI, while Avary / ZDT and DSBJ will share the orders in a proportion of 65% to 35%.

These changes could have an effect on prices. Kuo argues that if the sales of the iPhone in 2019 remain in the same line, the cost in dollars of the new antennas will grow between 10% and 20%. The upper antenna costs more than the lower antenna, although MPI is more accessible due to the more complex design of the upper antenna.

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