Korean tech behind Apple's 'awe dropping' ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air

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Korean tech behind Apple's 'awe dropping' ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air

Published: 27 Aug. 2025, 18:20 Updated: 27 Aug. 2025, 18:31

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An invitation sent by Apple to media outlets globally ahead of the Sept. 6 launch of its next line of products [APPLE]

When Apple sent out invitations Tuesday for its Sept. 9 product launch, teasing with the tagline “awe dropping,” attention turned to the star of the show: the iPhone 17 Air, expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever at just 5.5 millimeters (0.21 inches).

Industry sources say the breakthrough rests heavily on Korean technology. LG Innotek pioneered the “copper post” semiconductor substrate, a miniaturization method now central to Apple’s design. Instead of relying solely on solder balls to connect substrates and mainboards, LG Innotek developed a technique of erecting copper pillars first, then topping them with solder.

Traditionally, semiconductor substrates and mainboards were connected with solder balls, limiting how small the substrate could be or how densely circuits could be integrated. LG Innotek devised a method of building copper pillars first and then placing tiny semi-spherical solder balls on top.

“By using a pillar structure, the substrate area can be reduced by up to 20 percent,” an industry official said. “This allows smartphones to become slimmer while maintaining the same performance.”

Apple first adopted copper post technology in the communication chip of the iPhone 16e released in February, and is now expanding its use across the iPhone 17 series.

The iPhone 16 series products are seen displayed at Apple Myeongdong in Jung District, central Seoul on Sept. 20, 2024. [NEWS1]

The displays for the ultra-slim iPhone will also be supplied exclusively by Korean companies. The iPhone 17 Air will feature low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels from Samsung Display and LG Display.

LTPO OLED panels are advanced, energy-efficient displays that are difficult to manufacture. Chinese panel makers have so far failed to break into Apple’s supply chain for this technology. BOE is expected to supply a limited volume of LTPO OLED for the iPhone 17 Pro model this year, but the Air model will rely entirely on Korean suppliers.

Korean component makers are also expected to maintain their edge in Apple’s future products. Samsung Display is widely expected to exclusively supply the panels for Apple’s first foldable iPhone, likely to launch next year.

Samsung Display's foldable brand ″Montflex″ [SAMSUNG DISPLAY]

From the iPhone 18 onward, Apple is also expected to adopt a next-generation image sensor designed and manufactured by Samsung Electronics. On Aug. 6, Apple announced it would unveil “a groundbreaking chip manufacturing technology developed with Samsung Electronics that has never been used anywhere else in the world.”

But competition from China remains a concern, along with the risk of technology leakage amid Apple’s strategy of diversifying its supply chain. Foreign media outlets, including The Information, have reported allegations that Apple shared supplier technologies with Chinese rivals to drive down procurement costs.

LG Innotek has secured over 40 patents related to copper post technology, while Samsung Display is strengthening its market position with its foldable brand, “Montflex.” Both companies aim to maintain their technological lead with such differentiation strategies.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE GA-RAM [[email protected]]