Apple's iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models are shaping up to be major upgrades not only in internals but also in design. All devices are slated to come with a camera bar at the back, which will house the necessary sensors and give the lineup a fresh look over the current models. It is now being reported that the iPhone 17 Pro will feature an aluminum frame, ditching titanium for a less durable material.
Apple plans to switch from a Titanium frame to aluminum, compromising durability for a lighter-weight material
Apple switched to the titanium frame on the iPhone with the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro model, and it has only been a year since the new material was used. In his investor notes (via MacRumors), analyst Jeff Pu from GF Securities claims that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature aluminum frames instead of titanium. The analyst did not state that the iPhone 17 Air will feature an aluminum frame, which means that it could be the only device rocking titanium, but it remains to be seen if Apple will move ahead with the segregation.
While the aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models will be a downgrade from the titanium frames on the iPhone 16 Pro models in terms of durability, there are some advantages tied to it. For instance, the aluminum frame will allow the devices to be lighter than the stainless steel iPhone 14 Pro models. Additionally, we have to take note that this is not the first time that we have heard details on aluminum frames for the iPhone 17 lineup, which gives a bit more credibility to the report.
As for why Apple will ditch titanium for aluminum, it could solely boil down to environmental considerations, according to Jeff Pu. Aluminum has a lower carbon footprint than titanium, and the switch will be part of the company's goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all of its products. Apple plans to eliminate the carbon footprint from its entire product line by 2030. The company could follow the likes of the Apple Watch and the new Mac mini and market the next iPhone as the first carbon-neutral series.
At this point, we are not sure if the iPhone 17 Air will feature the same aluminum chassis as the rest of the lineup, as titanium would only create differentiation within the lineup. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously iterated that the iPhone 17 Air will feature a mixture of aluminum and titanium, but we are not sure of the composition at this stage. We will share more details on the subject as soon as further information is available.
