For two years now, Apple has given its Pro model iPhones titanium frames, even if the internal chassis is still made of aluminium. But more recent rumours point to the iPhone 17 series will be going back to using aluminium, with one exception.
MacRumors cites an investor note by Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu, with research firm GF Securities which claim that the iPhone 17, alongside its Pro and Pro Max models, will all get aluminium frames. The one exception that is still expected to use titanium is the much rumoured iPhone 17 Air that is also said to replace the Plus model.
Apple first shifted from using stainless steel frames for its higher end phones back when the iPhone 15 series was new. This results in weight reductions across the board, but the switch to aluminium, according to Pu, is because it has a lower carbon footprint compared to titanium. This is related to the bitten fruit brand’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality.
Which makes things all the more ironic that it is the iPhone 17 Air that retains the titanium frame. While the name may not carry the same connotation anymore, the Air designation used to denote a lighter version of an existing device. Though whether or not this is the case, we’ll have to wait for the official unveiling of the series later this year to know for sure.
(Source: MacRumors)
