Apple might exclusively use a titanium frame on the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. Other members of the iPhone 17 family will seemingly feature an aluminum chassis.
The prediction comes from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu.
iPhone 17 Air might use titanium chassis
Apple currently uses a titanium chassis on its Pro iPhones. Apart from being more durable than aluminum, the titanium edges feel more premium. But for its 2025 iPhone lineup, Apple will seemingly ditch the titanium and return to aluminium — except for the rumored super-thin model likely called the iPhone 17 Air.
While titanium is denser and stronger than aluminium, it does have some disadvantages. Besides being more expensive, it is difficult and expensive to offer titanium in more colors, as the material does not accept color coating easily. This also explains rumors of the iPhone 17 Pro coming in five colors this year.
For the 2025 iPhone 17 Pro lineup, Jeff Pu thinks Apple will use aluminum frames, reiterating his claim from May 2024. The iPhone 17 Air would be the only outlier to use a titanium frame. It’s unclear why the company would stick to titanium on only a single model. Like on the iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple will likely use a mix of titanium and aluminum for cost reasons.
iPhone 17 Pro’s switch to aluminium could be a downgrade
With the 2017 iPhone X, Apple used stainless steel and, later, titanium frames on its Pro iPhones. So, switching to aluminum for the 2025 Pro models would be a step back in terms of durability, finish and perceived premium feel.
It would be odd for Apple to use aluminum on its more expensive iPhones while equipping the (likely) cheaper iPhone 17 Air with a titanium frame. The company might make the switch to aluminum due to the rumored design changes in the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Cost might also be another factor, as an aluminum frame would provide significant savings.
Source: MacRumors
