Apple introduced a new finish on the iPhone almost two years ago, which was promised to be more durable than the stainless steel or aluminum frames used on the previous models. The titanium finish on the iPhone 15 Pro models gave the device a fresh matte look, but it seems that the company is willing to shift back to the aluminum chassis with the upcoming iPhone 17 models. However, a new leak claims that at least one model, the iPhone 17 Air, will still rock a titanium finish, potentially to overcome the drawbacks derived from an ultra-thin design.
Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet could rely on titanium to avoid another bendgate-like controversy
It was previously reported by The Information that Apple will let go of the titanium frame with the launch of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, marking an end to the durability of the handsets. However, a prominent analyst claims that the company’s ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model will feature a titanium frame, which is different from the rest of the lineup. Jeff Pu is not the only analyst who speculated that the titanium finish on the iPhone is here to stay for a bit longer, as Ming-Chi Kuo also highlighted that the iPhone 17 Air will have a “titanium-aluminum alloy metal frame, with a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames.”
What the analyst means is that the iPhone 17 Air will be the only handset to boast a titanium frame, but the amount of it will be less than the current iPhone 16 Pro models. It remains to be seen if the new mixture would enhance the durability of the frame, as the Air model would indeed need it, considering how thin it will be compared to the current iPhone 16 lineup and the forthcoming iPhone 17 lineup.
We have previously reported that the iPhone 17 Air will sit between the standard and the ‘Pro’ models in terms of functionality and design. It will house a single-lens camera setup at the back, but will potentially be powered by the same main sensor as the ‘Pro’ model. Moreover, it will be powered by the A19 chip, as per information obtained through Jeff Pu’s research notes, and it will also have the same amount of 12GB RAM as the Pro models.
Other than this, titanium on the iPhone 17 Air makes a lot of sense at this point, as the company does not want to risk another Bendgate fiasco. While aluminum is lighter than titanium, we can see that durability is more of a concern for the Cupertino giant than making the device lightweight. It is one of the tradeoffs of making the device significantly thinner than the rest of the lineup. We will keep you posted with additional details on the device, so be sure to keep an eye out.