New Apple Exclusive Confirms iPhone 15 Release Surprise - Forbes

iPhone 15 Pro Max renders based on multiple leaks

@HansTSaiz

iPhone 15 leaks have solidified in recent weeks, with industry insiders coming to a consensus about Apple’s tentpole upgrades. But now one of the most interesting early leaks is surprisingly back.

“It’s been confirmed today in two new supply chain reports from China that Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro will indeed replace the existing stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy frame,” reveals reliable site PatentlyApple.

Titanium was heavily rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in reports last year, but no further information broke in 2023, with an assumption that the cost was prohibitive. Yet no longer. PatentlyApple explains that titanium orders have now been placed by major Apple supplier Hon Hai Group for iPhone 15 Pro production, and it will be shared with its subsidiary Hong Zhun and FII.

And this is something iPhone fans should be excited about. Yes, titanium is expensive ($35-50 per kilogram Vs. $1-1.50 per kilogram for stainless steel), and yes, it adds credence to multiple reports that iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will increase in price this year. That said, the benefits are clear: titanium is the same strength as stainless steel at just 40% of its weight or 3-4x stronger at the same weight.

The combination of a lighter iPhone with added durability also makes a lot of sense. iPhones are some of the heaviest smartphones available, particularly at corresponding screen sizes. For example, the 6.5-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max weighs 240g (8.47 oz) while the 6.6-inch Galaxy S23 Plus weighs 195g (6.88 oz), and with rumors already that Apple will increase iPhone sizes in 2024, it can’t continue. The supposed 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max would be like carrying a brick.

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larger phone beside the well-leaked iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Sonny Dickson / 9to5Mac

Moreover, PatentlyApple notes that this might be just the start of a wider use of titanium in Apple hardware, with the site discovering multiple Apple patents for using titanium in Macbooks. Notably, Apple’s first titanium product is already on sale, the Apple Watch Ultra, with the company claiming, “Titanium strikes the perfect balance between weight, ruggedness, and corrosion resistance.”

Unfortunately, there is nothing to suggest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models will also receive a material upgrade this cycle. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use an aluminum chassis, and that is not expected to change for the next generation. Apple is expected to remove stainless steel from the iPhone lineup entirely rather than bringing it to cheaper models.

Despite still being months from release, the iPhone 15 lineup has already been criticized for being a “mediocre” upgrade, with standard models largely mirroring the iPhone 14 Pro design and iPhone 15 Pro models receiving modest camera and design upgrades. A move to titanium is unlikely to change that perception, but it may signal the start of a new era of ultra-durable and light Apple products.

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I am an experienced freelance technology journalist. I have written for Wired, The Next Web, TrustedReviews, The Guardian and the BBC in addition to Forbes. I began in b2b print journalism covering tech companies at the height of the dot com boom and switched to covering consumer technology as the iPod began to take off.

A career highlight for me was being a founding member of TrustedReviews. It started in 2003 and we were repeatedly told websites could not compete with print! Within four years we were purchased by IPC Media (Time Warner’s publishing division) to become its flagship tech title.

What fascinates me are the machinations of technology’s biggest companies. Got a pitch, tip or leak? Contact me on my professional Facebook page. I don’t bite.