iPhone 15 Could Feature Titanium Chassis With Curved Rear Edges

[MacRumors]

Apple's 2023 iPhone will feature a titanium chassis with curved rear edges replacing the existing squared off design, claims a new rumor.

According to Twitter user @ShrimpApplePro, the back edges of the iPhone 15 will be rounded to create a new border, similar to the bottom edges on the case of Apple's latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. For reference, the iPhone 14 models use a flat-sided design with squared off edges that harkens back to the iPhone 4. The last model to sport curved edges was the iPhone 11.

Despite the switch to titanium material, the iPhone 15 will "still have a back glass," claims the leaker, who has provided accurate information in the past, although @ShrimpApplePro cautions that the information comes "still very early to take it as it is."

This isn't the first time we've heard rumors claiming Apple will release a titanium iPhone. Earlier this year, iPhone 14 rumors suggested that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max would have a titanium alloy chassis, but that did not play out: All iPhone 14 models have a chassis made of aluminum and stainless steel.

However, Apple has recently investigated into the viability of titanium casings for its products, which include patents related to the use of processed titanium with unique properties for future MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones.

Compared to stainless steel, titanium has a relatively high hardness that makes it more resistant to scratches, and its stiffness makes it durable enough to withstand bending.

However, titanium's strength also makes it hard to etch, so Apple has developed a blasting, etching, and chemical process that can give titanium enclosures a high-gloss surface finish for a more attractive appearance. Apple has also been researching the use of thin oxide surface coatings which can reduce the appearance of oily fingerprints.

If the latest reports are accurate, it would be the first time Apple has used titanium in iPhones‌ and iPads. The company has used titanium as a casing material in recent Apple Watch models such as Apple Watch Ultra, and the physical Apple Card is made of titanium, but the latest iPhones and iPads are made of stainless steel and aluminum.

Likely to arrive in September 2023, the iPhone 15 models are expected to come in identical sizes to the iPhone 14 lineup and feature USB-C instead of Lightning, solid-state volume and power buttons, new camera technology, and Dynamic Island for all models.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple might potentially replace the "Pro Max" version of the iPhone 15 with a new "Ultra" model, following its Apple Watch Ultra naming convention to indicate a top-tier product. Whether the titanium case rumor relates to a specific iPhone 15 model, however, is unknown.

Article Link: iPhone 15 Could Feature Titanium Chassis With Curved Rear Edges

 

[Justin Cymbal]

That would be awesome

I really hope that Apple does in fact go back to a curved edge design

I much prefer the ergonomic design of the iPhone XS and 11 over the iPhone 12, 13 and 14

 

[Michael Scrip]

All I want is a USB-C shaped hole in the bottom!

🤞

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Make sense. Consistent designs across the devices, easier to pick-up from a surface and generally nicer to hold. It’ll also satisfy those who want both a square and round edge.

 

[goobot]

Titanium should help keep the weight down since the last few iPhones have been quite hefty.

I really hope they don’t keep exclusive features to the max, that’s what turned me off from upgrading to the iPhone 12 Pro and they luckily went back with the 13 pro

 

[berrymetal]

The iPod touch form factor! Would love to see it. I cannot wait, the iPhone 15 sounds VERY promising.

 

[ixrated]

So like the 5C then?

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Yes please! This will bring the weight down. The 14 Pro feels like a brick.

 

[Joseph C]

I hope they can try and get the camera bump protrusion under control a bit next? Hopefully the technology will be there to be able to lay my phone flat on a table without it wobbling in the next 10 years.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

If true, I'd suspect it'll be in the new "Ultra" model at the top. As mentioned in the last lines of this article.

 

[Berti10]

I would like to see an all metal case again. And where Magsafe is, unapologetic plastic or so. Shall feel more rugged than the current line

 

[MJaP]

...well as long as they don't paint them like they did the titanium Powerbooks 😉

 

[BootsWalking]

The first iPhone made for supersonic transit.

 

[Mr Fusion]

...well as long as they don't paint them like they did the titanium Powerbooks 😉

They’d have to unless you like fingerprint smudges, (the reason they painted them.)

What happened to ceramic casing with the watch? I was actually excited about that material becoming more of a thing…

 

[JulianL]

This would be one of the steps towards my dream iPhone.…

1 - Titanium chassis to save some weight not necessarily to make the phone lighter but so that the weight saving can be used to add weight elsewhere.

2 - Periscope zoom to get higher zoom and also to reduce thickness of the camera bump.

3 - 2 above might not remove bump completely so make main body a bit thicker by 1 - 2mm. The curved rear edges also rumoured in this article might make that almost unnoticeable and between this and the periscope lens that would hopefully be enough to get a flat back with no more camera bump.

4 - Use the extra thickness of the main chassis and also the weight saving from 1 above to give a huge capacity bump to the battery and still hopefully remain roughly the same weight as the current Pro Max. That extra thickness might even be able to get up to a > 6,000mAh battery which would not only blow every competitor out of the water re battery life but would also make the option of parasitic charging make sense e.g. iPhone able to charge AirPods or Apple Watch if unexpectedly away from home without a charger.

5 - USB-C port. I’m fed up of having different cables for my iPad and iPhone.

And that would pretty much do it for me. At some point I wouldn’t mind the iPhone going 100% connector-less worldwide, eSIM only and wireless charging only, but only when I am sure I can get an eSIM plan from pretty much every provider I might want to use and when very compact wireless travel chargers come out. A unified watch and iPhone mag charger would be nice so that I wouldn’t have to pack 2 charging pucks.

 

[Koni17]

After picking up my old iPhone X, I was astonished at how much lighter/nicer to hold it was in comparison to my iPhone 13 pro. If they can make the next gen lighter without it affecting the price, that would be a much welcomed upgrade.

 

[JoshNori]

That would be awesome

I really hope that Apple does in fact go back to a curved edge design

I much prefer the ergonomic design of the iPhone XS and 11 over the iPhone 12, 13 and 14

Please not this again. We all know that Steve Jobs left us with the iPhone 5, and he got it right the first time. Those slippery phones with the curved edges just won’t do. But MacBook Pro like edges I could live with… only because they intentionally regressed to the original form factor.

 

[Shirasaki]

All I want is a USB-C shaped hole in the bottom!

🤞

What do you want to use that hole for?

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

Curved edges would just make it more comfortable to hold - simple!

 

[Rradcircless]

I love MacRumor's steady reports on the next generation of device. Yes, every iPhone is the best and most powerful one Apple's ever made but across USB-C, periscope camera, curved edges and titanium chassis, it's definitely worth shirking the 14 Pro lineup for the 15 Pro Max/ 15 Ultra.

 

[Kissmo1980]

Question is: Will they release iPhone Titanium - Mariah Carey Christmas Edition?

 

[iZac]

like the iPhone 5C ?

(not to disparage, I loved this design)

 

[profets]

That would be awesome

I really hope that Apple does in fact go back to a curved edge design

I much prefer the ergonomic design of the iPhone XS and 11 over the iPhone 12, 13 and 14

The square edges show for beautiful design, from the 4, 5 and then 12,13,14. Always felt obvious to me that when the size grew significantly with the 6 the curved edges helped with the comfort of handling a larger device.

While I love the look of the 12/13/14, any time I pick up a X/XS/11 I fall in love with how it feels in the hand.

 

[Peter_John]

If the curved rear edges are Titanium then this will be the strongest phone ever built!

 

[nwcs]

Back and forth from straight sides to curved sides and back. It's just a rectangle slab, only so much that can be done.