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So far, iPhone Pro models have had stainless steel bezels, which has historically been a great move by Apple. Compared to aluminum, stainless steel is stronger, more resistant to dents and scratches, and overall a higher quality material, especially after polishing, and looks fantastic – until you touch it all the way. It then becomes a fingerprint magnet that is durable but looks like crap.
Although stainless steel is a fingerprint magnet, I – and probably many of you – have never had to worry about this part, since almost everyone supplies their iPhone with a case. Due to the additional protection of the case, a stainless steel frame is more advantageous in every respect, except for weight.
If you’ve ever picked up a regular iPhone and then bought a Pro model, you’ll immediately notice the huge difference in iPhone Pro weight. Of course, this is partly due to the inclusion of more technology in the Pro models, such as a LiDAR sensor and a whole secondary camera. However, this is largely due to the fact that regular iPhone models use an aluminum frame, while Pro iPhone models use stainless steel.
Generally speaking, aluminum weighs about 1/3 that of stainless steel, so it’s no surprise that the iPhone Pro has become so heavy, especially the iPhone Pro Max. They are big and heavy! All of us Pro users know the “pinky pain” we get when we try to prop our pinky up on the phone for too long. I love having an iPhone 14 Pro, but after using the iPhone 13 mini, I hate the extra weight that stainless steel adds to the phone, which I mostly keep for emergencies anyway.
This is where the titan can save the world. There are rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro will replace stainless steel with titanium, and I really hope that the rumors come true. As someone who was hesitant to buy an Apple Watch Ultra, worried that its size would make the watch too heavy, I was surprised at how light it felt – and that’s in large part because Apple opted for titanium and a case over stainless steel.
Generally speaking, titanium is about twice as heavy as stainless steel, and although it scratches more easily than stainless steel, it is more resistant to dents. Since most of us keep our phones in cases, I would have preferred the extra scratch and dent resistance. If the iPhone 15 Pro is in a case, its frame can really be scratched (unless you have a completely strange case).
As iPhones get bigger, they themselves get heavier. More features means more components, and that means extra weight. However, when Apple created the Apple Watch Ultra, they found a recipe for how to make a flagship while still keeping it remarkably light. My phone is almost a year old and it still looks like new, even without a case.
While we might lose the nice shine in the demo video if the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max go titanium, I’m willing to forgo that point if that means pro-grade weight. significantly lower than its predecessor. Now Apple just needs to live up to the iPhone Ultra rumors!
With over 10 years of technology experience, Joe covers the latest news, opinion and commentary in the technology industry.
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Post time: Aug-24-2023