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iPhone 11 Pro Anyone think Stainless Steel is “meh”?
- Thread starter Kal-037
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Right mines in a case too but even without a case I don’t really see what the big difference is.
Apple chose stainless steel strictly because its an aesthetic material to make it more ‘premium’ to separate itself from the other phones. Stainless steel doesn’t sell me, I do think it is a nice touch, but I was perfectly fine with the 7000 series aluminum.
Stainless steel sold me on pure durability standpoint. You cannot bend the phone, a drop on the corner will not mush like soft aluminum. There is a reason they do not make knife blades out of aluminum. Steel is so much harder and heavier duty.
I have always owned aluminum phones in the past and they have been totally fine. But just barely tapping the corner on something harder results in a visible dent.
i wish they made iPad pros out of steel too. No bending, and much tougher, way harder material.
I have always owned aluminum phones in the past and they have been totally fine. But just barely tapping the corner on something harder results in a visible dent.
i wish they made iPad pros out of steel too. No bending, and much tougher, way harder material.
Can anyone share photos of the scratches on their stainless steel iPhones? Just curious how will it look like, especially on the colored ones like gold or the new green.
If you drop a modern iPhone the least of your worries is the dent in the aluminium edge lol. Smashing the front and back glass panels has to be the biggest weakness of these phones.
The last 3 iterations using aluminium didn’t bend either that I know of? I’ve never bent an iPhone in all these years! Let’s not pretend stainless steel suddenly improves the durability of these devices, it simply makes them look prettier. The stainless steel has had its fair share of criticism since it came back with the iPhone X due to micro scratches on the silver version and the coating on the SG tarnishing after a couple of months use. This is the reason why most people use cases on these very fragile phones regardless of chassis material.
Ive had my Pro Max since launch day, I don’t have any scratches to share
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Ok let’s not pretend then.
This is a 100% true statement. Stainless steel improves the durability of the iPhone. I could use it as a hammer in a pinch!
Harder, Stronger, more durable.
and just because you have not bent a iPhone doesn’t mean it will not bend!
You physically cannot forcefully bend a iPhone 11 Pro with your bare hands. You just can’t.
you could hammer and baton smartphones to pieces with it during free time.
Aluminum is soft, flimsy, and weak.
your statement is ridiculous, you simply say stainless steel makes the iPhone prettier not stronger. Stainless steel build materials improves the device all together. Durability, and rigidity and sheer toughness more than double the strength vs using aluminum.
if you are happy with aluminum then that is great. But, I’d much rather have my phones made of steel. I wish iPads were too. Bumping these bezels in to hard objects does not even phase it. I use my 11 Pro Max caseless quite a bit too. I was always upset how aluminum would just magically get tiny thumb Tack sized dents or dimples in the bezel over time without even knowing how or when it got there.
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I understand the difference between aluminium and stainless steel and it would be weird if I didn’t in my line of work. Not all of us are putting our phones in our back pockets and jumping on them though. Stainless steel does dent too and is not indestructible like you seem to suggest here. I’ve seen plenty of iPhone X’s in a bad condition where no case has been used and that chassis does damage despite your dismissal. The fact you think 7000 series aluminium is soft and weak beggars belief to be frank.you do realise 6000 series which is one lower is used in structural applications due to its strength and durability don’t you?
Maybe not all of us are putting our iPhones through the hammering and abuse you evidently are. Most people use a case too.
Why? Since the X, if you break the rear glass you're looking at a huge repair cost - not far from the cost of replacing the whole phone if you don't have AC+.
it doesn’t matter if either of those aluminum’s are tough. Because steel is still stronger than both. So wouldn’t you want the stronger of the (3)?
Aluminum is ok. And yes steel can dent too. But, with my usage I cannot dent steel at all.
I can dent aluminum with soft wood. While steel is used to bust wood and rock too. So a light impact with steel or a drop can usually resist significant damage.
All I’m saying is that I have found all iPhone aluminums to be pretty fragile and you need to take caution with a caseless phone or iPad and don’t tap the corner in to a door frame or even a wall as minor damage can happen very easily.
My iPhone is insured against accidental damage so structural aluminium is absolutely adequate for my phone chassis. I’ve never dented an iPhone to date and with the premium for stainless steel on an iPhone being £270+ between models, it’s completely irrelevant really for my usage. My phone is in a case and that’s not because of the chassis but more the fact that the glass on the front and back is horrendously fragile. Your usage sounds much more extreme than mine so you’ve probably made the right choice.
Steel for sure. There is a distinct feel about steel compared to aluminum that makes it premium. Also, it’s stronger than aluminum.
One of these years Apple is going to figure this out (most people use cases). Then they're going to deliberately use inferior products that 'feel' premium, charge the same price and pocket the difference between.
Because the phone goes in a case and it makes little difference what it's made of no one is going to know the difference or complain about it because the 'feel' will still be premium.
Apple is going to make a killing above what they already make.
No way!
I don’t like cases and I don’t put mine in a case.
Yeah, it's kind of an enigmatic thing. Case users don't care about looks, but if Apple were to offer a truly hideous looking phone using substandard materials that 'felt' premium (while still charging the same price) there'd be an outcry - despite case users saying you never see the phone because it's in a case.
Go figure. Who cares if it's premium or not, what it's made of or what it looks like if you truly ascribe to this whole 'don't care what it looks like 'cause it's in a case mentality'?
PS. I don't use cases either.
I can’t say I’ve any beef with the Stainless Steel casing on iPhone (X,Xs,Pro).. it’s a great texture and finish...
I wonder if Apple Watch offers clues to future materials for a ‘pro’ model? It’s cleaner that if Apple chooses pro vs standard moving forwards then there will be a distinct difference in case material.
So, will we see a Titanium ’pro’ casing? Who would be interested in ceramic (Unsure if that’s really unlikely due to weight / robustness).. but i can see Apple using materials they’ve already got int he market in the future..
I wonder if Apple Watch offers clues to future materials for a ‘pro’ model? It’s cleaner that if Apple chooses pro vs standard moving forwards then there will be a distinct difference in case material.
So, will we see a Titanium ’pro’ casing? Who would be interested in ceramic (Unsure if that’s really unlikely due to weight / robustness).. but i can see Apple using materials they’ve already got int he market in the future..
There are too many variables to generalize accurately. Specific alloy? Thickness? Physical design? Heat treatment, if any?
Exactly. Aluminium is one of the most durable metals on the planet, far more durable than stainless steel and is a much greener process. With the right finishing treatment an alloy can achieve very close results to the surface hardness of stainless steel which is why aluminium in many forms is a much more premium material than 316 Stainless steel despite what some marketeers will tell you. Being a third of the weight of steel should be the unique selling point, especially with a device that is carried around IMO.
I think the days of electrical devices using stainless steel could be numbered due to the difficulty in recycling an already hard to recycle product. We have billions of phones being discarded and pressure is rising to find a suitable recycling process. Aluminium is a very easy material to recycle and is 100% recyclable. It’s also one of the very few metals that can be melted down and maintain its mechanical properties.
Perhaps Apple should think about introducing self healing alloys to help with clumsy people using their devices? Although those in this thread that like to bang nails in with the edge of their phones might have to put up with heavier alternatives.
Aluminum is not one of the most durable metals On the planet. And it cannot be made harder than steel. Stainless steel is over 2.5 times denser, and will usually average 55+ HRC hardness. Aluminum is about 30 HRC hardness.
no heat treat will make aluminum hard. It is a extremely soft metal.
Aluminium is one of the most durable metals on the planet. That is an absolute fact. There’s a reason it’s used in structural and marine applications and with hard anodising it can achieve a very dense surface hardness, more than adequate for the use in a mobile phone. I never said it can be made harder than steel, not sure where you got that from?
I work for Hydro/Sapa and am a senior mechanical design engineer with my focus being on the automotive industry supplying mainly JLR, BMW and Aston Martin. I know about aluminium.
I've thought about this quite a bit since the original iPhone X was announced. I do like the look of polished stainless. But once you wipe the dust and fingerprints off of it even one time with a microfiber cloth, it will start picking up micro abrasions. That's just the nature of stainless. It doesn't look awful--it's the exact same thing that happens to silverware over time and it can be polished out if you really want to be picky about it, but that's just the nature of the beast. Think back to the old school iPods and how crappy they looked on the back after a while.
But I'm super picky with my gadgets, and I don't like the "patina" that builds up on stainless over time. I also don't want to use non-recommended abrasive polishes on my devices. I feel like I've had to endure this design phase in order to use the higher end iPhones, and I really wish Apple would switch to a bead blasted or brushed finish on the stainless steel models in the future. I love the structural rigidity of the stainless steel bands though and I hope they stick with that material. I just don't like glossy finishes on my gadgets, whether it's metal or plastic.
The PVD finish however on the "color" models of iPhone 11 Pro is very tough against scratches. My issue with PVD though is that a) It cannot be polished once it picks up a mark (if you do manage to make a mark on it) and b) it shows any flaws that are on the metal underneath. It doesn't fill in nicks or imperfections.
But I'm super picky with my gadgets, and I don't like the "patina" that builds up on stainless over time. I also don't want to use non-recommended abrasive polishes on my devices. I feel like I've had to endure this design phase in order to use the higher end iPhones, and I really wish Apple would switch to a bead blasted or brushed finish on the stainless steel models in the future. I love the structural rigidity of the stainless steel bands though and I hope they stick with that material. I just don't like glossy finishes on my gadgets, whether it's metal or plastic.
The PVD finish however on the "color" models of iPhone 11 Pro is very tough against scratches. My issue with PVD though is that a) It cannot be polished once it picks up a mark (if you do manage to make a mark on it) and b) it shows any flaws that are on the metal underneath. It doesn't fill in nicks or imperfections.