Apple is exploring putting titanium chassis in its iPads, according to an unconfirmed report. This would make the tablet much more rigid.
The idea is still under investigation, not a done deal. “Apple is also considering equipping iPads with titanium-based metal chassis, but the high costs for doing so may not be economical at the moment,” Digitimes reported on Friday.
And it’s not just iPadOS devices. An analyst predicted recently that high-end iPhone 14 models will have a titanium body in 2022.
Advantages of a titanium iPad
Apple’s professional-grade tablets are big and thin, which raises the potential for them to bend if flexed too hard. Replacing the aluminum chassis with a titanium one would strengthen the device.
“Titanium has the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element on the periodic table,” notes Monroe Engineering. But the experts point out there are disadvantages too. Most notably, the metal is rarer than aluminum and therefore costs more.
The current 12.9-inch iPad with an aluminum chassis is durable enough. But Apple is reportedly considering taking the iPad line past the 12.9-inch mark. If Apple wants to keep a 14-inch or 15-inch tablet slim, it might need a titanium frame to not be too fragile.
Besides, Apple loves titanium. It even makes the Apple Card out of the super-hard metal.
