iPhone 17 Pro may forego titanium, instead get alumimum & glass

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware

The iPhone 17 Pro models could have some big design changes, including a shift away from titanium in favor of an aluminum frame and a back combining aluminum and glass.

Smartphone with colorful technological icons forming large numbers, displaying the time 12:53 on March 18 against a gradient background.
A render of a possible iPhone 17 design



The current generation of iPhones has used a well-worn design of a glass sandwich with a metal frame in the middle. For the Pro models of the iPhone 17, there could be some changes on the way.

The design changes start with a move away from titanium, according to sources of The Information. Apple had previously used titanium to allow its Pro models to be as light as possible while remaining strong.

The reasoning for the switch in material is unknown, but it's not the only aluminum change on the horizon. It is said that the back of the Pro models will use a "part-aluminum, part-glass design."

The top section will include a larger rectangular camera bump made of aluminum, instead of the typical glass-made bump. Again, there is no explanation for the design change, but the "large rectangular camera bump" description could mean other camera changes could be on the way.

However, the bottom half of the rear will continue using glass. The glass base is meant to still allow users to wirelessly charge their devices, without interference from the aluminum.

The design change news arrives less than a year before the actual iPhone 17 will be unveiled. It is unclear how true these claims are, but future rumors and CAD drawing leaks may help solidify whether these changes really are on the way or not.

Rumor Score: Possible

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    M68000M68000 Posts: 880member
    Could it just be a cost thing?  Titanium is more expensive than aluminum. 
  • Reply 2 of 11
    raymondairaymondai Posts: 72member
    The aluminium/aluminum part is works as a heat sink.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    AbcdEftAbcdEft Posts: 5member
    I believe this change is for reliability purposes. The shift from stainless steel to titanium on the iPhone offers no significant advantage, except for reduced weight. The surface texture on the iPhone 15 Pro has worsened, and the aluminum interior frame is far more prone to wrinkling when dropped. The harder titanium outer frame transfers impact energy to the interior, potentially causing severe damage inside the chassis, even if the exterior appears fine. The most rigid iPhone currently is iPhone 14 Pro, I believe. I fully support this decision. If Apple decides to use a better grade of aluminum, such as the 8000 series, it would be even better. It’s second time that Apple dropped titanium from their product materials. At least count PowerBook in.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    lukeilukei Posts: 389member
    The change in material will be entirely down to ‘net zero’ and recycling. The mantra that we must all follow along with paying more tax to stop the sun from heating the Earth.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    beowulfschmidtbeowulfschmidt Posts: 2,351member

    The reasoning for the switch in material is unknown,

    Um, no it's not.  The reason is money.  There might be other secondary reasons mixed in, but the bottom line is "reduce cost of the phone without making the phone quality suffer."


    williamlondonlukei
  • Reply 6 of 11
    timmilleatimmillea Posts: 257member
    Just like I got the 'peak design' MacBook Air - the M1 - and won't be selling it any time soon, I believe I also have the peak design iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Everything goes in cycles and Apple has been looking unsteady since Jony Ive left. Apple will make loads of money but its design ethic has departed and now started to show in current products. Cook is a logistics man. He does not share the excessive focus on design and beauty of Jobs or Ive. 

    Why switch from titanium? Money - manufacturing cost, warranty and eco liabilities. 

    'Peak Apple' has now passed. Collect today to sell Apple's best products in the decades to come. 
  • Reply 7 of 11
    BeDifferentBeDifferent Posts: 20member
    timmillea said:
    'Peak Apple' has now passed. Collect today to sell Apple's best products in the decades to come. 
    If you think titanium is more important than faster components, better battery life, better screen, stronger glass, etc., then you deserve the poor performance you’ll get.

    Very few people will care, and practically no one will buy the Apple products you prefer for much money in the future.
    apple4thewin
  • Reply 8 of 11
    gregoriusmgregoriusm Posts: 518member
    “Alumimum” in heading should be “aluminum”.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    bushman4bushman4 Posts: 864member
    Looks like Apple has changed its strategy from impulse buying to necessity buying. Previously you bought an iPhone because you liked the way it looked and performed now customers only going to buy when their iPhone breaks
    This is ( if true) will not help sales
  • Reply 10 of 11
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,935member
    Any composite metal which is stronger, lighter, better heat dissipation, easy to paint, cheaper is welcome news.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    sloth77sloth77 Posts: 42member
    beowulfschmidt said:

    The reasoning for the switch in material is unknown,

    Um, no it's not.  The reason is money.  There might be other secondary reasons mixed in, but the bottom line is "reduce cost of the phone without making the phone quality suffer."


    Or alternatively "increase the quality of the phone without making it cost more"?
    jas99
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