Two years ago, Apple launched the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with a big emphasis on a new, titanium design. Titanium remained a differentiator for iPhone 16 Pro, too. But reporting indicates the company will ship only one iPhone 17 model with a titanium design this year, and it’s a surprising choice.
iPhone 17 Air will be the only new model with titanium
Last fall, as rumors about the iPhone 17 line started ramping up, one of the more curious reports had to do with design materials.
The Information reported that Apple would drop titanium from the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
Instead, the new Pro models would use aluminum in their casing—a big reversal not long after titanium was first introduced.
Ming-Chi Kuo reported, however, that titanium wasn’t going away entirely.
Rather, the new iPhone 17 Air will exclusively feature titanium in its design.
Kuo said it will have a “titanium-aluminum alloy metal frame, with a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames.”
So a mix of materials, but still the only model to use titanium.
Analyst Jeff Pu reiterated titanium coming to the iPhone 17 Air in his recent research note.
Top comment by BarelyLucid
The Air will likely cost as much as the Pro does today ($999) and it will be a thin and light phone in need of greater structural rigidity than aluminum can provide, so this is zero percent surprising.
The pro and pro max models moving away from titanium could be considered surprising, but the Air being the one phone with it wouldn’t be. It has the greatest need for titanium and will likely be the phone Apple markets the hardest. A flagship in form factor, if not specs.
This is surprising for multiple reasons:
- Apple has historically marketed titanium as a ‘Pro’ feature and key design differentiator
- iPhone 17 Air is a lower-cost model, yet will have a more ‘premium’ material than the Pro line
- Additionally, if Apple wanted to phase titanium out eventually, why put it in the one brand new model that’s unlikely to change for a while?
Perhaps if Apple was switching back to stainless steel for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max frames, then using titanium on the Air makes sense to reduce weight.
But aluminum is even lighter weight than titanium, which is why it’s hard to understand Apple using any titanium in its new thin and light model.
Why do you think Apple’s using aluminum in the iPhone 17 Air only? Let us know in the comments.
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