iPhone 15 Pro and Grade 5 Titanium: A Detailed Overview

The iPhone 15 Pro is widely rumored to feature an all-new titanium frame. Over the past several months, a variety of credible sources such as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple analyst Jeff Pu, and leaker ShrimpApplePro, have all claimed that Apple would be switching to titanium for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, finally replacing stainless steel.

iPhone 15 Pro Blue Front Perspective Feature
MacRumors has confirmation that Apple intends to use Grade 5 Titanium as the exact material for the chassis of the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and the larger ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max.

Grade 5 Titanium, also known as Ti-6Al-4V, is a titanium alloy consisting of titanium along with small amounts of aluminum and vanadium. Most commonly known for its excellent corrosion resistance, Grade 5 Titanium is used in a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, racing, and prosthetics manufacturing. The light weight, strength, and hardness of the material could explain why Apple decided to use Grade 5 Titanium for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro.

Apple has a history of using titanium for its products – from the PowerBook G4 Titanium in 2001 to the Apple Watch Series 5, down to the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple's decision to use titanium for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models may have been influenced by the Apple Watch Ultra, as the new Pro iPhones are also set to adopt the multi-purpose Action Button from the high-end Apple Watch.

The use of titanium on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro also brings with it a change to the chassis finish. Previously, all Pro iPhones used heavily polished stainless steel with a mirror finish as the chassis material. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro will have a brushed finish that is considerably less reflective than the finish of previous Pro iPhones. The image below is perhaps the most accurate representation of the new brushed finish, closely resembling the finish found on prototype devices.

iPhone 15 Pro Colors Mock Feature
The new brushed finish is expected to reduce scratch visibility. Early in the development of the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, Apple experimented with a mirror finish for the device for the titanium frame, in appearance very similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro. The versions of the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro with mirror finish, however, were found to be prone to scratches and dents – both of which were immediately noticeable on the frame. Because of this, the mirror finish for the device was seemingly quickly abandoned in favor of the new brushed look.

While titanium in combination with the brushed finish will allow for better fingerprint resistance and fewer visible scratches - durability issues may still be a potential concern. Although titanium has a higher hardness compared to stainless steel, it's also lighter, making it more prone to dents. To be more specific, the devices may be especially affected by corner dents, which can result in the color coating flaking off, revealing bare metal underneath. This phenomenon has been seen on prototype devices, although it is unclear if improvements have been made since.

The introduction of titanium also influenced the selection of color options planned for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Back in early July, we revealed Apple was testing four different color options for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro:

  • Blue
  • Space Black / Space Gray
  • Titanium Gray
  • Silver

With the removal of the gold color option, we can expect a switch to more gray tones for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro. Apple is expected to replace gold with a color option known internally as "Titanium Gray." Titanium Gray, as the name implies, is a color option similar to the color of natural titanium - darker than Silver, but lighter than the Space Black option.

More recently, Apple issued invitations to its September 12 event with the tagline "Wonderlust." The accompanying image and animation feature a multi-colored Apple logo made up of metallic particles, which many consider a subtle nod to the upcoming titanium frame on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro. Furthermore, the colors used for the Apple logo match the color options for the 15 Pro, with varying shades of silver, gray, black and dark blue.

The titanium chassis is also expected to lead to lighter devices. According to information obtained by MacRumors, the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are expected to be lighter than their respective predecessors by 18 grams, which is a reduction in weight by around 10 percent.

To sum up, these are the key benefits and changes titanium is set to bring to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro:

  • Brushed finish
  • Scratches will be less visible
  • Improved fingerprint resistance
  • Device weight reduced by 18 grams
  • New color option – Titanium Gray

For more details on what to expect, check out our rumor roundup pages for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago
Lightweight. Durable. Premium.

Titanium will be an excellent material for iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max. I love my Titanium Apple Watch Ultra.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melgross Avatar
27 months ago
I work with metals, including stainless and titanium. I’m having a great deal of difficulty in understanding why I’m reading that the lower de nsity of titanium results in more denting. That makes no sense. Denting is the result of several factors. The design of the part, the thickness of the part and the strength of the material. 316 stainless is not a very strong material, for examp,e. Several grades of aluminum, such as the 7075 Apple is using for the phones is actually stronger. But it’s also soft and can be scratched. Hard anodizing can minimize that, but it’s thin, if something exerts enough pressure it can scratch through the layer.

316 stainless is harder than aluminum and is harder to scratch. It doesn’t dent as easily because it’s harder, though not as strong. Grade 5 titanium is stronger than 316 stainless and harder as well. But both that and 316 scratch. Apple’s diamond-like coatings are extremely hard and don’t scratch easily. You can coat both stainless and titanium with it. That would be very nice.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago

Paint Flake Gate incoming in 3….2…..

So my only question is which color will be the least likely to flake/peel?! Titanium gray?
It may not. I’m hoping it’s going to have that brushed finish like the one below.



Attachment Image
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
27 months ago

You had me at "lighter".
There’s an app for that:



Attachment Image
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VSMacOne Avatar
27 months ago
So my only question is which color will be the least likely to flake/peel?! Titanium gray?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phill85 Avatar
27 months ago
Titanium, and the weight savings it brings, is one of the few reasons I might actually still end up getting a 15 Pro.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)