Why Did Apple Stop Using Titanium For iPhones?

Parilov/Shutterstock

In September 2023, when Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, its first smartphones featuring a titanium frame, the company turned the metal choice into a big marketing tool. The “strong and lightweight titanium design” was the first thing Apple mentioned in the press release, explaining that titanium made it possible to create the “lightest Pro models ever.” Two years later, Apple dropped titanium from the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, without addressing the change publicly. Apple never had to explain why it abandoned titanium, because, technically, the company still used the material in the iPhone 17 series: The iPhone Air features a titanium frame, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models. But even then, Apple didn’t need to say why it stopped using titanium for the iPhone 17 Pro models, considering how it explained the design these handsets introduced.

It’s important to remember one other thing the iPhone 15 Pro models were known for: They featured the A17 Pro chip, which brought support for high-end gaming to the iPhone. But early buyers quickly discovered that the Pro handsets could overheat. Apple fixed the issue with a software update. A year later, the iPhone 16 Pro models were expected to feature an improved cooling system. Apple did not introduce a vapor chamber in 2024, a component that was already available on Android flagships, but it improved heat dissipation while maintaining the titanium frame.

That cooling…

Source