The latest industry leaks indicate that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will replace the existing stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy frame.
This is a big change that would either make the phone much lighter, much more durable, or a little bit of both. The titanium alloy could provide the same strength as stainless steel at 40% of its weight, or more than 3 times the strength at the same weight. That’s significant. With rumors that Apple will increase the size of its largest iPhones next year, a lighter material would certainly be a boon.
However, as for this year’s devices, it’s said only the Pro models will make the switch to the titanium alloy, with iPhone 15 and 15 Plus sticking to cheaper aluminum frames for at least another year. It’s likely we’ll see iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max increase in price compared to last year’s models thanks to this materials switch-up – titanium is up to 50x more expensive than steel.
Apple already uses a titanium alloy in Apple Watch Ultra, describing it as “the perfect balance between weight, ruggedness, and corrosion resistance,” and we’ve written before how an iPhone Ultra might work.
The company also has patents for a titanium-framed MacBook, although that could still be a way off. That said, the use of titanium in the iPhone 15 Pro might signal the start of a new era of ultra-durable and light Apple products. Here’s hoping!