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

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MacBook Pro Won't Switch to OLED Display Next Year, Two Analysts Say

Tuesday September 10, 2024 7:26 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 6:57 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 8:49 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 7:51 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 3:50 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...
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iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Be First Model to Feature Three 48MP Cameras

Thursday July 25, 2024 4:25 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...
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Kuo: iPhone SE 4 and Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Use Apple's Own 5G Chip

Wednesday July 24, 2024 1:19 pm PDT by
Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, but the project has reportedly faced numerous challenges and delays. At last, however, the project may be finally getting closer to completion. In a short article posted on social media platform X today, well-known Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said two iPhone models with an Apple-designed 5G modem...
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Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
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Kuo: 2026 iPhone to Use New Advanced Camera Sensor From Samsung

Wednesday July 24, 2024 4:06 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone will adopt a new 1/2.6-inch 48MP Ultra Wide CMOS image sensor (CIS) made by Samsung as early as 2026, breaking Sony's years-long monopoly as Apple's CIS supplier, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in a brief report published on X (formerly Twitter), Kuo said Samsung has already established a dedicated team within its ranks to work on the camera components with a ...
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Kuo: Apple Delays Change Aimed at Saving Space Inside Future iPhones

Wednesday July 17, 2024 7:09 am PDT by
Apple no longer plans to use resin-coated copper for logic boards in iPhone 17 models next year, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Kuo said resin-coated copper failed to meet Apple's "high-quality requirements," leading to the company scrapping its plans to adopt the material for iPhone 17 models. It is unclear if Apple will revisit resin-coated copper for iPhone 18 models or...
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M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...
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New iPhone Battery Should Be Up to 10% Denser for Longer Life

Sunday June 30, 2024 11:48 am PDT by
A new iPhone battery with a metal casing should allow for higher energy density to deliver longer battery life, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims. Alleged iPhone 16 Pro battery with new metal casing. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kuo said that Apple's adoption of a stainless steel casing for the ‌iPhone‌'s battery will allow for five to 10 percent higher cell density while remaining...
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Kuo: New AirPods to Feature Cameras for Enhanced Spatial Experiences

Sunday June 30, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple will launch new AirPods featuring infrared cameras to improve spatial experiences with the Vision Pro headset, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a 態-new-ir-camera-equipped-airpods-to-enhance-2daa96913d7f">post on Medium, Kuo explained that Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods with integrated IR camera modules by 2026. These IR cameras will apparently be similar to the iPho...
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Kuo: Apple Watch Series 10 to Get Larger Screen and Thinner Design

Monday June 17, 2024 1:20 am PDT by
This year's Apple Watch Series 10 will be thinner and come in larger screen sizes than previous models, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In his latest industry note -10-and-98075c44ce92">shared on Medium, Kuo said the screen size options on the next-generation Apple Watch will increase from 41mm to 45mm, and from 45mm to 49mm, while being encased in a thinner design. For reference,...
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20-Inch MacBook With Nearly 'Crease-Free' Foldable Screen Rumored

Thursday May 23, 2024 6:48 am PDT by
LG is aiming to begin mass production of display panels for a MacBook with a 20.2-inch or an 18.8-inch foldable screen in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to information shared today by Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a post on Medium, Kuo said Apple is aiming to make the foldable screen "as crease-free as possible," which will require the use of high-cost components. As a...
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iPhone 16 Lineup Rumored to Come in These Two New Colors

Sunday May 19, 2024 11:08 am PDT by
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined his expectations for the iPhone 16 lineup's color options, revealing that two new colors should replace two of the existing shades. Kuo outlined his expectations in a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. He believes that the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max will be available in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and rose. ...
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Kuo: iPhone 16 Pro Max Could Feature Longer Battery Life

Friday May 17, 2024 3:04 am PDT by
Apple in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will use battery cells with increased energy density, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which will offer either longer battery life using the same battery size as that found in existing models, or equivalent battery life using a smaller battery. In his latest supply chain survey, Kuo says the energy density (Wh/kg) of the battery cells in the iPhone 16 Pro Max ...
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Kuo: Apple Watch Ultra to Get 'Almost No' Hardware Upgrades This Year

Wednesday May 1, 2024 6:53 am PDT by
Just over six months ago, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the likelihood of a new Apple Watch Ultra being released in 2024 was "decreasing," but it now sounds like there will be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year after all. In a direct message shared with MacRumors today, Kuo said that while the Apple Watch Ultra will be updated this year, the new model will have "almost no"...
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Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
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Kuo: Apple Planning 20-Inch MacBook With Foldable Screen

Wednesday March 6, 2024 6:12 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a 20-inch MacBook with a foldable screen in around three years, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. "Apple's only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027," said Kuo, in a post on X today. He did not provide any additional details about the device. Kuo is the third source to...