hello. This is Technologytodaynow. Apple used titanium for the first time in its 2023 iPhone 15 Pro lineup, setting a new standard for smartphone materials.
Titanium frames are also applied to Android smartphones that were released in 23 and 24. Because Apple also had a patent on the MacBook for preventing fingerprints from getting stuck, it was reported that Apple, which was likely to expand on the iPhone Pro and Apple Watch Ultra to apply titanium to its top-tier lineup, would stop using titanium.
iPhone 17 Pro Design Expected Changes
iPhone 17 Pro Expected to Change Material From Titanium to Aluminum
According to a new report by Information, Apple will change its design from titanium to aluminum as part of a significant design change for the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple is reportedly set to make an overall design change for the iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone 17 Air, one of which is a significant design change for the Pro lineup. The Pro line-up will switch from titanium to aluminum in the iPhone 17 Pro series.
iPhone 17 Pro Camera Bump and Rear Design Changes
The Pro and Pro Max models will be made of new aluminum and glass on the back. Since the matte color is expected to remain the same, it will probably be applied with aluminum and glass on the back, just like the current base model. However, there may be differences in camera bumps. The camera bump is said to be made of aluminum, not 3D glass.
When you look at the back of the iPhone Pro, the camera bump that surrounds the camera in a triangular form, which is commonly called induction, is distinguished as glossy glass and has a shape close to square, unlike the glass on the overall back. However, it seems that the shape itself is completely changed, and it is said that the rear half will be made of aluminum and the lower half of the rear will be made of glass for wireless charging. If this design is adopted, it is expected that the design will change significantly, away from the current triangular camera layout.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Aluminum Introduction
The fact that the rectangular camera bump and half of the rear side use glass means that designs such as the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus Nord N2000 will emerge if they keep the alignment vertical, and horizontal cameras like the Galaxy S10 series and the Pixel series will be applied. We still have to wait and see, but if the design changes on the iPhone 17 Pro, it will be the first time in six years since the iPhone 11 Pro. The design change and the adoption of aluminum can be expected to see some advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, the advantage is that it can be lighter in weight than the titanium-based iPhone Pro. The adoption of titanium reduced the weight by 15%, but the iPhone 16 Pro’s weight again was a huge disadvantage, such as increasing battery capacity, installing new modules, and enhancing cooling systems. It can be lighter than expected because there is a saying that if 17% of the Pro adopts aluminum, it will be lighter than titanium and only half of the glass will be used. ESG will also be boosted. Apple plans to become carbon neutral in all of its products by 2030, but we can get closer to environmental protection by increasing the use of recycled aluminum.
The downside is that the benefits of induction disappear. The triangular camera has the advantage that the center does not change significantly even if the lens is switched by changing the zoom stage due to the narrow distance between the cameras. If it is changed to a horizontal arrangement, the distance between the lenses will become distant, which can be difficult to switch naturally.
If aluminum is really adopted on the 17 Pro, it will be the first time aluminum will be used in the top lineup iPhone as stainless steel is used on iPhone X. I thought titanium would last quite a while, but I had no idea it would end in two years. Also, I wonder if manufacturers using titanium on Android smartphones will keep titanium intact.