iPhone 17 Air Said to Feature Titanium Frame — Unlike iPhone 17 Pro

The rumored iPhone 17 Air will have a titanium frame, according to Apple analyst Jeff Pu.

iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo
In an investor note with equity research firm GF Securities this week, Pu also said the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have aluminum frames, so the iPhone 17 Air will apparently be the only new model to use titanium.

It is unclear why the iPhone 17 Air would have a titanium frame, as aluminum is lighter than titanium, which would be fitting for the device's rumored ultra-thin and lightweight design. Titanium is generally stronger than aluminum, however, so perhaps the material is necessary to ensure that the iPhone 17 Air's thin chassis is durable.

Last year, another Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air's frame would use both titanium and aluminum, so there could be a mix of both materials. Apple surely has its reasons, and it may discuss them during its iPhone 17 event in September.

Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, so the return to an aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 Pro models this year would be a notable change.

Here is what Pu expects:

  • iPhone 17: Aluminum frame
  • iPhone 17 Air: Titanium frame
  • iPhone 17 Pro: Aluminum frame
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum frame

Here are the materials used for the iPhone 16 series:

  • iPhone 16: Aluminum frame
  • iPhone 16 Plus: Aluminum frame
  • iPhone 16 Pro: Titanium frame
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: Titanium frame
Related Roundups: iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro
Tag: Jeff Pu
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new 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. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 May See 'Significant' Dynamic Island Changes

Monday July 14, 2025 12:11 am PDT by
The iPhone's Dynamic Island experience is set to undergo "significant evolution" over the next few years, according to a new rumor. Earlier this month, a report suggested that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, but little else was explained about the software changes. Now, the leaker known as "Majin Bu" appears to have corroborated this, commenting ...

Top Rated Comments

G5isAlive Avatar
7 hours ago at 01:53 pm
The bend gate prophesiers will be disappointed to read this. No doubt will switch to complaining about cost.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Timpetus Avatar
6 hours ago at 02:09 pm
It drives me crazy when people say aluminum is lighter than titanium, without any context. Titanium is much more rigid, so you need less of it to create an object with the same strength as it would have if you made it with aluminum. Ti is lighter than Al when you consider equivalent durability in the ways that matter for making a phone chassis. That's why the 15 Pro is lighter than the 14 Pro.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
7 hours ago at 01:53 pm
so the pro's are gonna look and feel like cheap ones
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
7 hours ago at 01:52 pm

('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/15/iphone-17-air-titanium-rumor/')

The rumored iPhone 17 Air ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/08/iphone-17-air-dummy-model-video/') will have a titanium frame, according to Apple analyst Jeff Pu.



In an investor note with equity research firm GF Securities this week, Pu also said the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have aluminum frames, so the iPhone 17 Air will apparently be the only new model to use titanium.

It is unclear why the iPhone 17 Air would have a titanium frame, as aluminum is lighter than titanium, which would be fitting for the device's rumored ultra-thin and lightweight design. Titanium is generally stronger than aluminum, however, so perhaps the material is necessary to ensure that the iPhone 17 Air's thin chassis is durable.

Last year, another Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air's frame would use both titanium and aluminum ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/24/kuo-ultra-thin-iphone-17-specs/'), so there could be a mix of both materials. Apple surely has its reasons, and it may discuss them during its iPhone 17 event in September.

Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, so the return to an aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 Pro models this year would be a notable change ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/07/iphone-17-pro-to-reverse-iphone-x-design-decision/').

Here is what Pu expects:

* iPhone 17: Aluminum frame

* iPhone 17 Air: Titanium frame

* iPhone 17 Pro: Aluminum frame

* iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum frame

Here are the materials used for the iPhone 16 series:

* iPhone 16: Aluminum frame

* iPhone 16 Plus: Aluminum frame

* iPhone 16 Pro: Titanium frame

* iPhone 16 Pro Max: Titanium frame


Article Link: iPhone 17 Air Said to Feature Titanium Frame — Unlike iPhone 17 Pro ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/15/iphone-17-air-titanium-rumor/')
well, what this tells me - no-one really knows :cool: :eek:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
555gallardo Avatar
7 hours ago at 01:53 pm
I think they’ll use titanium just to avoid another bendgate starring aluminum.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdavid_rp Avatar
7 hours ago at 01:58 pm
Could it be that the pros are not as profitable as before because inflation, so instead of having bad press and higher their prices, they now try to save money on pros manufacturing and give the better materials to the Air as there won’t be a comparison in price as it’s the first gen?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)