PCB Market Trends and Forecast Through 2026 III

III. Flexible PCBs are Primarily Used in High-End Consumer Electronics, with Broad Growth Potential Driven by Innovation

1. The use of Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs) in smartphones has been increasing due to the growing demand for internal space optimization. FPCs are lightweight, thin, and bendable, and in many cases, they can partially replace rigid PCBs. In modern smartphones, FPCs help free up internal space for other critical modules such as batteries, cameras, and antennas. With increasing component density and battery size, the usage of rigid PCBs is gradually declining, while FPCs are used to interconnect modules, driving continuous growth in demand.

2. The Huawei Mate 30 uses more than 20 FPCs, doubling the usage compared to the Huawei P20 Pro. Apple adopts a modular design approach in which different functional modules are connected via flexible circuits. As new features are introduced, the demand for FPCs increases accordingly. For example, the number of FPCs used in the latest iPhone models has reached 25–26, a significant increase from around 10 in the iPhone 4.
   With further advancements in smartphone internal architecture, the average FPC usage per smartphone is expected to continue rising.
   The global FPC market reached USD 14.173 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow to USD 19.533 billion by 2026.