Apple rumoured to move away from titanium on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max

Ultimately, Apple's flagship iPhones have undergone modest redesigns since the iPhone X in 2017. However, the company has switched up its preferred frame materials a few times. For instance, the iPhone X represented the first time when Apple used a stainless steel frame in an iPhone, having opted for aluminium alternatives prior to that.

While stainless steel persisted for multiple generations, Apple finally replaced it last year with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which relied upon a titanium frame like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (curr. $949.99 on Amazon). Surprisingly, The Information now reports that Apple intends to replace both iPhone 16 Pro models with successors that lack titanium or even stainless steel frames.

Instead, the website cites unnamed sources who claim that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will adopt aluminium frames. Theoretically, this should make the pair lighter than their predecessors. With that being said, The Information also states that both Pro iPhones will feature a revised back panel that utilises aluminium on one half and glass on the other.

Supposedly, the latter would remain in place to facilitate wireless charging; metals are the enemy of wireless charging. The adoption of an aluminium top half would see the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max containing rectangular camera housings too that consist of metal not glass. In other words, it sounds like Apple is moving towards Google's design approach, albeit with a much larger aluminium area than on the Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL.