IPhone 6S Rumors: Smaller LED Backlighting Chips Could Make It Thinner And Lighter

The next-generation versions of Apple’s iPhone, dubbed the “iPhone 6S” and “iPhone 6S Plus,” could be thinner and lighter compared to the current models. In its quest to engineer such a form factor, Apple could use smaller LED chips for the devices’ backlight units, a report said Tuesday.

The backlight units in the displays of the upcoming phones could be equipped with smaller LED chips that would measure 3mm wide, 0.85mm tall and 0.4mm deep. In comparison, the chips used in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have dimensions of 3.0mm x 0.85mm x 0.6mm, DigiTimes, a Taiwanese technology news website reported, citing a TrendForce report.

The iDownloadBlog, however, reported that the next iPhones are less likely to have a slimmer chassis because Apple is known for using chassis design across two iPhone generations before introducing major changes to the device’s design.

In a separate post, DigiTimes also reported Tuesday that Apple is turning to Chinese suppliers for additional batteries for the new iPhones. According to the report, the Cupertino-based technology giant’s decision to source more batteries from Chinese providers could cause a decrease in Taiwan-based Simplo Technology’s share of battery orders for the new iPhones.

The current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus use batteries produced by Simplo Technology as well as China-based Desay and Sunwoda, iDownloadBlog reported.

According to reports, iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, which may have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively, could go into production in June. Apple is also expected to ship 24 million units of the new iPhones in the third quarter of this year.

KGI Securities' analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a recent report that Apple could unveil new iPhones in August, before making them available for sale in September. Kuo said that releasing the devices earlier than usual could help Apple counter slow summer season, the China Post reported.

The analyst also predicted that the new iPhones will feature next-generation A9 processor, 2GB of RAM of a faster LPDDR4 variety, pressure-sensing Force Touch technology, a 12-megapixel camera, gesture control support and many other new features.