Here’s what the Apple Watch can tell us about a titanium iPhone 15 Pro

Among different modifications, this 12 months’s iPhone 15 Pro fashions are rumored to characteristic a new chassis made out of titanium for the first time. This might make for a lighter design, further sturdiness, and extra. In truth, it might be certainly one of the largest design modifications to the iPhone in years, marking an finish to the chrome steel period that began with the iPhone X in 2017.

The rumor

Thus far, a few completely different sources have reported that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or iPhone 15 Ultra) might characteristic a new titanium design.

The Twitter leaker ShrimpApplePro, who has a respectable although not good observe document of accuracy, reported in November that the iPhone 15 Pro design would include a titanium case with rounded edges. This was additionally corroborated by JP Morgan Chase analyst Jeff Pu, who echoed the Twitter leak in an investor report earlier this month.

Apple has been engaged on an iPhone with a titanium chassis for a number of years. Multiple patent filings from the firm have proven off its work in the space. But to get the clearest glimpse of what a titanium iPhone 15 Pro may deliver to the desk, we have to have a look at the Apple Watch.

Titanium iPhone 15 Ultra vs Apple Watch

The Apple Watch has been obtainable in a titanium end since the Apple Watch Series 5 was launched in 2019. The Apple Watch Series 5 was obtainable with a titanium end in two colours – pure and house black. This marked the first time that Apple had used titanium in a product since approach again in 2001 with the PowerBook G4.

The Apple Watch Series 6 was obtainable in the identical pure and house black titanium finishes, as was the Apple Watch Series 7 in 2021, which brings us to the present technology of the Apple Watch. This time round, the titanium end is unique to the all-new Apple Watch Ultra.

There are two issues we can take away from how Apple has used titanium in the Apple Watch lineup: colours and weight.

Perhaps most notable is the distinction in weight between chrome steel and titanium. Over the years, Apple has offered Apple Watch fashions in each of these finishes. The iPhone lineup, nonetheless, has used chrome steel since the iPhone X in 2017.

Here’s a have a look at the distinction in weight for the Apple Watch Series 7 in three completely different finishes. The Apple Watch Series 7 was the final technology of the Apple Watch that was obtainable in three completely different supplies with 41mm and 45mm sizes.

• 41mm:
  • Aluminum: 32.0g
  • Stainless metal: 42.3g
  • Titanium: 37.0g
• 45mm:
  • Aluminum: 38.8g
  • Stainless metal: 51.5g
  • Titanium: 45.1g

Then, there’s the Apple Watch Ultra, the solely current-generation Apple Watch with a titanium end. It’s additionally the largest Apple Watch ever offered by Apple, with a 49mm case measurement. Here’s a breakdown of the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra:

• 41mm:
  • Aluminum: 32.2g
  • Stainless metal: 42.3g
• 45mm:
  • Aluminum: 39.1g
  • Stainless metal: 51.1g
• Apple Watch Ultra 49mm:
  • Titanium: 61.3g

An Apple Watch Ultra manufactured from chrome steel? That’d be unusable. The Apple Watch Ultra is barely sensible due to the titanium’s weight.

9to5Mac’s Take

It’s no shock that titanium is lighter than chrome steel, however I discover it notably attention-grabbing what the variations have been in the Apple Watch lineup over the years. The Apple Watch presents us our solely have a look at how trendy Apple itself tackles utilizing titanium in a product.

In the iPhone lineup, Apple has used chrome steel edges since the introduction of the iPhone X. Recent generations of the iPhone use aluminum in the non-Pro fashions and chrome steel in the Pro and Pro Max fashions. This, after all, means the iPhone 14 is lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro.

• iPhone 14: 172g
• iPhone 14 Plus: 203g
• iPhone 14 Pro: 206g
• iPhone 14 Pro Max: 240g

If the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max use titanium, they gained’t be lighter than the aluminum iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. They would, nonetheless, be noticeably lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which characteristic chrome steel bands round the aspect.

How a lot lighter? That’s up in the air at this level. Back-of-the-envelope math exhibits that the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7 in titanium was round 12% lighter than its chrome steel counterpart, which gained’t be immediately relevant to the iPhone lineup, nevertheless it’s good context.

Apple can additionally use the weight financial savings supplied by titanium to offset the addition of issues like new digicam {hardware} or greater batteries. It opens up a world of potentialities.

Personally, the concept of an iPhone 15 Ultra that’s 10% lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max sounds nice to me. I’ve been bored with the chrome steel edges since at the least the iPhone 13 Pro. The chrome steel is heavy, to not point out it’s a full fingerprint magnet as effectively.

An iPhone 15 Ultra with titanium edges could be a dream come true. The iPhone has used chrome steel edges since 2017, and it’s time for a change. While we’re at it, let’s use the house black titanium that we noticed in the Apple Watch Series 7, too.

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