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From the palm of your hand, smartphones have revolutionized how we connect, work, and navigate the world. But behind the sleek glass and metal casing lies a key technology that makes their compact, high-performance design possible: flexible printed circuits (FPCs).
At PICA Manufacturing Solutions, we specialize in engineering flexible circuit solutions that enable today’s most innovative consumer electronics. As smartphones continue to shrink in size and grow in functionality, flex circuits play a pivotal role in making it all happen.
The Challenge: More Power in Less Space
Smartphone manufacturers are constantly tasked with delivering more features—higher-resolution cameras, faster processors, 5G connectivity, and longer battery life—without increasing the size or weight of the device. This creates a design puzzle: how do you fit more electronics into an ever-thinner form factor?
The Flex Circuit Advantage
Unlike rigid PCBs, flexible circuits can bend, twist, and fold to fit the contours of a smartphone’s internal layout. This opens the door to compact, multi-layered assemblies that maximize usable space while maintaining electrical performance.
Turn tight spaces into reliable designs.
Use flex and rigid flex to cut weight, minimize connectors, and simplify assembly while protecting signal integrity.
Key advantages of flex circuits in smartphones:
• Compact Integration: Flex circuits can be routed around tight corners and folded into small compartments, making room for more components like larger batteries and additional sensors.
• Weight Reduction: Thinner and lighter than traditional wiring or rigid boards, flex circuits help reduce overall device weight without sacrificing reliability.
• Durability in Motion: Withstanding repeated bending and vibration, flex PCBs are ideal for smartphones where parts such as screens, hinges (in foldables), and buttons undergo frequent movement.
• Improved Signal Integrity: Controlled impedance routing and tight pitch traces enable high-speed data transfer between components like processors, memory modules, and wireless antennas.
Real-World Smartphone Applications
In a typical smartphone, flexible circuits are found:
• Connecting cameras to the main board
• Routing signals from the touch screen and display
• Interfacing with side buttons, haptic motors, and biometric sensors
• Enabling foldable or modular designs with dynamic movement
PICA’s custom flex and rigid-flex solutions are engineered with these applications in mind, offering options such as fine-line trace widths, multi-layer stack-ups, and advanced shielding for EMI-sensitive environments.
Smarter Design Starts with Smarter Manufacturing
Designing with flex circuits requires close collaboration between engineers and manufacturers. At PICA, we partner early in the design phase to ensure optimal DFM (Design for Manufacturability), helping our clients:
• Select the right materials (polyimide, adhesive-less copper)• Design for bend radii and dynamic flex zones
• Optimize impedance control and routing paths
• Ensure thermal and mechanical reliability
Whether you're building the next generation of foldable phones or streamlining internal layouts for thinner profiles, our engineering team delivers production-ready solutions that meet performance, cost, and scale.
Ready to Innovate?
Smartphones aren’t getting bigger—they’re getting smarter. And it’s flex circuits that are powering that shift. If you're designing miniaturized electronics that demand reliability, speed, and space optimization, PICA is your partner in innovation.
Learn more about our flex and rigid-flex capabilities: picamfg.com/products/flexible-circuits
Contact us to discuss your next project: picamfg.com/contact