Aluminum and the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a poor recipe for clumsy people like me

Date:
Tue, 27 May 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
I reckon an aluminum iPhone 17 Air might be a step too far: here's why

FULL STORY ======================================================================

At first, I wasnt sold on the idea of titanium being used in phone chassis, dismissing it as a bit of a marketing gimmick rather than a truly useful feature. But then I spent time with the iPhone 15 Pro Max , Samsung Galaxy
S24 Ultra, and then their successors, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra , made me a titanium convert

My 180-degree turn in opinion about titanium stems from my habit of not
using cases for flagship phones, as part of my appreciation for slick industrial design. This doesn't mix with an inherent clumsiness and bad luck that often sees these expensive phones take a plunge towards hard floors and surfaces in one way or another.

Those with a stainless steel chassis would tend to chip, dent, and scratch, but the aforementioned titanium-sporting phones benefit hugely from the toughness of the metal and basically shrug off the accidental battering I
give them.

So its my hope that more phones, including the likely upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 make use of titanium.

However, despite its toughness and relative lightness, the rumored iPhone 17 Air will eschew titanium for an aluminium frame, all with the idea of maximising thinness and lightness. Weve heard this rumor a few times, with
the latest tip coming from the Korean-language yeux112s blog .

The blog, which supposedly has insider or supply chain information, claims aluminum will be used for the frame of the iPhone 17 Air, as toughness takes
a back seat in favour of lightness. Leaving me alumi-numb (Image credit: Future)

Having recently been at a wedding, Im all for thinner and lighter phones that can help me avoid unwanted bulges in my suit (stop laughing at the back). But I dont want this to come at the expense of toughness, so the idea of aluminum in the iPhone 17 Air has me raising a wary eyebrow.

I also rather like the heft of iPhones; theres just something reassuringly solid and premium with the older Pro models and their stainless steel chassis .

Ive since embraced titanium for the larger Max phones as the lighter weight makes the larger phones easier to handle one-handed. But much lighter would run the risk of making these flagship Apple phones feel potentially cheaper than their list prices.

That being said, Apple can still be innovative from time to time, and Id not be surprised if the Cupertino crew is working on some form of alloy or design thatll thread the line between a super-light and thin phone and one thatll
not be ruined by the odd fall.

Weve seen Apple do that with its Ceramic Shield glass, so perhaps we could
see the advent of Aluminium Armor with the iPhone 17 Air; time will tell, and it'll likely be at a September Apple event . You might also like The iPhone
17 could come with a nasty price hike here's how After six months with my iPhone 16 Pro, Im still not convinced by the Action button MacBooks are now legitimate gaming machines and the future looks promising



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/aluminum-and-the-iphone-17-air-sounds- like-a-poor-recipe-for-clumsy-people-like-me


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)