Rumored iPhone 17 Air May Not Be the Most Expensive, But It’s Set to Use the Most Premium Material

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 lineup is likely to include a new model, the iPhone 17 Air, which is said to be a thinner-profile iPhone. But according to industry analyst Jeff Pu, who shared an investor note with equity research firm GF Securities this week, the iPhone 17 Air’s frame will consist of an unexpected material: titanium. Pu notes that the iPhone 17 Air will be the only device in the lineup using titanium, while the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are all said to have aluminum frames.
This would be a change from the current iPhone 16 Pro models, which use titanium; the base iPhone 16 and 16 Plus already use aluminum. Apple’s decision to move back to aluminum for the high-end Pro models could be based on factors like weight, costs, or durability goals.
But then again, why titanium for the iPhone 17 Air? Aluminum is lighter. On the other hand, titanium is stronger, which may be important for the iPhone 17 Air’s ultra-thin design. Weight won’t be an issue for a thin phone, but durability definitely will be.
Since 2017’s iPhone X, Apple’s most expensive phones have used stainless steel or titanium. If the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max return to aluminum, it would be a big material change, as reported by MacRumors. Apple is likely to expand on its design team’s thought process when it officially announces the iPhone 17 this fall.
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