The iPhone 15 Pro has proven the subject of myriad design rumors over the past few months, but one particular prediction has now been all but confirmed.
We’ve been hearing for some time that the iPhone 15 Pro could get titanium sides, and a new report from PatentlyApple suggests that Apple's next Pro-level iPhone “will indeed replace the [iPhone 14 Pro’s] existing stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy frame.”
The supposed confirmation comes by way of “two new supply chain reports from China,” seen by PatentlyApple, which detail large titanium orders placed by major Apple parts supplier Hon Hai Group.
Suffice to say, this is big news for iPhone fans. Titanium boasts the same strength as stainless steel at just 40% of the weight, suggesting the iPhone 15 Pro could be significantly lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro while offering the same level of durability.
Alternatively, Apple may opt to maintain a similar 206g weight for the iPhone 15 Pro, but the use of titanium over stainless steel would presumably make the phone significantly more durable than its predecessor.
It’s also worth noting that, if these supply chain reports are accurate, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likewise benefit from a titanium alloy frame, which is promising news for those hoping that Apple’s next supersized iPhone weighs less than the brick-like iPhone 14 Pro Max (240g).
What’s more, with rumors hinting that next year’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the biggest iPhones yet, it’s certainly in Apple’s interest to move away from stainless steel iPhone frames as soon as possible. Indeed, as PatentlyApple notes, Apple plans to begin using titanium in other hardware categories, too (at present, the Apple Watch Ultra is the only Apple product to feature the material).
Of course, the use of titanium in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will inevitably make both devices more expensive to buy, but we’ve long suspected that Apple will hike new iPhone prices in every major global market this year.
Frustratingly, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to stick with the aluminum chassis used by their respective predecessors. It was thought that both phones might inherit the stainless steel frames used by the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but it’s now assumed that Apple will remove stainless steel from the iPhone line in one fell swoop.
