Ming-Chi Kuo

By MacRumors Staff
Ming-Chi Kuo is an analyst at TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region. He gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain, translating the information he gleans into research notes for clients.

His research notes often provide a solid look at Apple's future plans and while he is not always correct, his predictions on future Apple products are accurate enough to make him one of the most reliable sources for Apple rumors. Kuo previously worked for KGI Securities, Concord Securities, and DigiTimes.

Ming-Chi Kuo Articles

apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Macs With M5 Chips Expected to Launch in This Order

Monday December 23, 2024 8:27 am PST by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined mass production timing for the M5 series of chips, which he expects to be used in both future Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. The rollout will likely begin next year. Kuo expects the standard M5 chip to enter mass production in the first half of 2025, followed by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in the second half of the year. Then, he...
iphone 16 pro design cameras

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Be More Like DSLR Camera With This Upgrade

Monday December 23, 2024 6:24 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly two years away from launching, a new feature has already been rumored for the devices. In a blog post today, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. The main camera refers to the 48-megapixel...
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Apple Again Rumored to Launch Smart Home Camera Alongside HomePod With Display

Wednesday December 4, 2024 7:41 am PST by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today again said that Apple plans to release its own HomeKit-enabled wireless smart home camera in 2026. Logitech Circle View camera In a blog post about Apple's smart home plans, Kuo said the camera will have tight integration with the rumored HomePod with a display. It is likely that the camera would be sold as an optional accessory alongside the new...
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M5 iPad Pro to Enter Mass Production in Late 2025

Wednesday December 4, 2024 3:50 am PST by
An iPad Pro equipped with Apple's next-generation M5 processor is expected to enter mass production in the second half of next year, according to Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in a Medium post, Kuo said the primary assembler of the M5 iPad Pro will be China's BYD Electronics, which will also be the exclusive assembler of Apple's upcoming display-equipped HomePod, set to be...
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Kuo: New HomePod With Smart Home Display Arriving in Late 2025

Wednesday December 4, 2024 1:57 am PST by
Apple's long-rumored HomePod with a display has been delayed again and is now expected to launch after WWDC 2025, likely in the third quarter of the year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This timeline is a shift from Kuo's earlier prediction of a 2024 release. MacRumors concept render The new smart speaker is expected to feature Apple's A18 processor and a 6-7 inch display, with support...
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Kuo: Apple Planning Smart Home Camera and New AirPods With More Health Features

Monday November 11, 2024 7:10 pm PST by
In a blog post today, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed two new products that Apple apparently plans to release in a few years from now, including a smart home camera and updated AirPods with more health management features. Kuo said mass production of Apple's smart home camera is scheduled to begin in 2026, and the company apparently aims to sell tens of millions of them over ...
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Variable Aperture Rumored to Bring Major Camera Upgrade to iPhone 18 Pro

Friday November 8, 2024 4:03 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will feature an upgraded main rear camera with a variable aperture for the first time, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple has gradually expanded new camera technologies, such as sensor-shift stabilization, 48-megapixel sensors, and the tetraprism 5x telephoto camera, across its ‌iPhone‌ models in recent years. It now appears that after completing the...
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Vision Pro With M5 Chip Rumored for 2025, Apple Also 'Considering' iPhone-Connected Glasses

Sunday November 3, 2024 6:20 am PST by
Apple plans to release an updated Vision Pro headset with its as-yet-unannounced M5 chip in 2025, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The current Vision Pro is equipped with the M2 chip, which debuted in 2022. Kuo did not say if the updated Vision Pro will have any other new features or changes compared to the current model that launched earlier this year. Meanwhile,...
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Kuo: Apple's Upcoming 5G and Wi-Fi Chips for iPhones Are Currently Two Different Chips

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said that at least one iPhone 17 model launching next year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip. For years, Apple has also been rumored to be developing its own in-house 5G chip for iPhones, and Kuo has since provided some clarification about Apple's plans. Earlier this month, 9to5Mac reported that Apple's in-house 5G chip would...
Apple Wi Fi Chip Feature Triad

Kuo: iPhone 17 to Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:49 am PDT by
At least one iPhone 17 model launching next year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. All current iPhone models are equipped with a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip supplied by Broadcom, but Kuo expects Apple to equip "nearly all" of its products with its own in-house Wi-Fi chip "within about three years." The analyst...
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iPhone SE 4 Mass Production Timeframe Revealed as Launch Gets Closer

Wednesday October 23, 2024 10:38 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin mass production of the fourth-generation iPhone SE in December, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a blog post. The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM...
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Kuo: 2025 Apple Vision Pro to Get M5 Chip and Apple Intelligence

Friday September 27, 2024 3:14 am PDT by
Apple is developing a new version of its Vision Pro headset that is set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo claims the most significant change in the new model will be the inclusion of Apple's M5 chip, a substantial upgrade from the M2 chip found in the current Vision Pro. The processor boost is expected to significantly improve...
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Kuo: iPhone 17 to Use 3nm Chip Tech, iPhone 18 Pro Models to Use 2nm

Thursday September 19, 2024 2:08 am PDT by
Next year's iPhone 17 series will feature processors made using TSMC's enhanced N3P 3-nanometer chip technology, but only iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026 are likely to use the Taiwanese chipmaker's next-generation 2nm processor technology because of cost concerns, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The terms "3nm" and "2nm" describe generations of chip manufacturing technology, each with...
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iPhone 16 Pro Demand Has Been Lower Than Expected, Analyst Says

Sunday September 15, 2024 4:58 pm PDT by
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been "lower than expected" since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a "supply chain survey" and shipping estimates listed on Apple's online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached...
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MacBook Pro Won't Switch to OLED Display Next Year, Two Analysts Say

Tuesday September 10, 2024 8:26 am PDT by
While it has been rumored that the MacBook Pro will eventually get an OLED display, two analysts believe that change won't happen next year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and display industry analyst Ross Young today both predicted that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will continue to use mini-LED displays in 2025. This lines up with previous rumors that have claimed the ...
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Kuo: Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3 to Launch Next Year

Tuesday September 10, 2024 7:57 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today predicted that an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and an Apple Watch SE 3 will be released in 2025. Nearly a year ago, Kuo predicted that there might not be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year, and that prediction appears to be accurate. The only new Apple Watch announced during Apple's event yesterday was the Apple Watch Series 10, while the Apple Watch Ultra...
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Kuo: Apple's 5G Modem to Rapidly Roll Out in iPhones Starting Next Year

Friday September 6, 2024 9:49 am PDT by
Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, and it appears the chip will finally debut next year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today estimated that shipments of Apple's in-house 5G chip will reach 35-40 million units in 2025, and "grow rapidly" to 90-110 million units in 2026 and 160-180 million units in 2027. Kuo previously said two iPhone ...
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Kuo: Next Year's Upgrade to 12GB RAM Will Be Limited to iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday August 28, 2024 8:51 pm PDT by
Just a day after a noted leaker on Chinese microblogging site Weibo suggested the iPhone 17 lineup in 2025 could see an upgrade to 12GB of RAM across the board, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that the upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. If Kuo is correct, it means the smaller ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro, the base ‌iPhone 17‌, and the all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" will stick with the 8GB...
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Kuo: Folding All-Screen MacBook Delayed Until Late 2027 At the Earliest

Thursday August 22, 2024 4:50 am PDT by
Apple's rumored foldable MacBook won't arrive until the end of 2027 or 2028 at the earliest because of technical challenges, according to the latest prediction by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Concept by Astropad Previous reports from display industry analyst Ross Young, Haitong analyst Jeff Pu, Korean website The Elec, and Kuo himself suggested that Apple is developing an all-display foldable...
iPhone 15 Pro Cameras

iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Be First Model to Feature Three 48MP Cameras

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:25 am PDT by
Next year's iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism camera for enhanced photo quality and zoom functionality, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an n-iphone-tetraprism-upgrade-ca62dd37e364">investor note published to Medium, Kuo said the key specification change would be a 1/2.6" 48MP CIS sensor, up from the 1/3.1" 12MP sensor expected to be used in this...