Apple Still Developing Liquid Metal for Future iPhone Pro Frames

[MacRumors]

Apple allegedly wants to switch away from aluminum for future iPhones, with two materials being considered for their greater balance between weight and heat dissipation.

Apple introduced titanium to the iPhone with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max back in 2023, with the change even becoming the device's defining tagline. The iPhone 16 Pro models also showcased the material, but while the devices were said to be more durable, they also suffered from complaints about overheating. That's when Apple switched to aluminum for the current iPhone 17 Pro models.

In a new Weibo post, however, leaker Instant Digital argues that Apple's switch away from titanium to aluminum is just a compromise solution while it continues to look into the use of liquid metal or an "improved" version of titanium that solves the original material's poor thermal conductivity.

Apple is said to be using both liquid metal and improved titanium alloys in its first foldable iPhone, expected this year, so the leaker's claim may not be completely wide of the mark. The body of the device is said to use a revised titanium material that improves strength while reducing overall weight when compared with existing titanium iPhone frames, despite having virtually the same surface area.

The iPhone Air currently uses a titanium frame, courted for its light weight and strength, and the next model is also likely to have one.

Meanwhile, liquid metal has been described as an "amorphous" material that Apple has been exploring for over 15 years. Apple has reportedly chosen the material, which is manufactured using a die-casting process, as a key component in addressing common issues with foldable devices. The material choice reportedly aims to enhance screen flatness and minimize the crease marks that typically plague folding displays. The alloy's unique properties are said to include high strength, corrosion resistance, light weight, and malleability.

According to Instant Digital, achieving mass production at scale will be extremely difficult, but once the foldable's manufacturing is established, costs could come down, paving the way for future Pro models to adopt it as well.

Unless Apple reverts to a new type of titanium, that is. But don't expect either of these possibilities to emerge for the iPhone 18 Pro models, whose manufacturing materials will already be locked in.

Article Link: Apple Still Developing Liquid Metal for Future iPhone Pro Frames

 

[Samplasion]

I wonder if Liquid Metal gave Apple the idea for Liquid Glass 🧐

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

iPhone Air design but slightly thicker for the Pros

 

[boswald]

Memetic poly alloy!

 

[snipr125]

I'm fine with the Aluminium unibody design of my 17 Pro, but when I use my 15 Pro the brushed titanium just oozes a premium quality look and feel that the 17 Pro just cannot compete with.

 

[McWetty]

Liquid Metal + New Siri =

 

[lanceuppercut47]

Memetic poly alloy!

Literally all I could think about when reading the article!

 

[zilchfox]

I wonder if Liquid Metal gave Apple the idea for Liquid Glass 🧐

Apple has used Liquid Metal for a long time when it came to their SIM eject tools in particular, if I recall correctly.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Eh, if it’s not Transparent Aluminum why bother?

 

[nevinco]

"improved version of titanium that solves the original material's poor thermal conductivity."

Titanium just has poor thermal conductivity. You can massage its properties and make some improvements, but unless you create a wonder alloy that is way beyond anything anyone, including aerospace or labs have ever produced, its still going to suck at thermal conductivity. I always thought this was a pretty dumb move from Apple. It was a short-term gain where they were struggling to think of ideas for the iPhone 15 Pro. I mean this was the phone where there was barely any performance difference between A17 Pro and A16 Pro. They were desperate and pulled out the ideas from the drawer that were previously canned. Along with the whole Apple intelligence thing.
A cooler phone is also better for battery longevity. More cycles before degradation, etc.

It makes sense on a watch where they (at least to my knowledge) are not thermally constrained.

Aluminium has like 10-20x better thermal conductivity. Its much much cheaper and is also pretty strong. It has similar strength-to-weight ratio as titanium, its just less dense than titanium. This means a more bulky packaging by fractions of a millimetre. But titanium is cool... Aluminium is not so "special" anymore apparently. Its what coke cans are made from.

 

[sully54]

Liquid Metal is one of those things that showed so much promise but Apple has never been able to deliver.

 

[unkl bob]

I'm fine with the Aluminium unibody design of my 17 Pro, but when I use my 15 Pro the brushed titanium just oozes a premium quality look and feel that the 17 Pro just cannot compete with.

Likewise the 16PM! Couldn't have said it better. THX snipr125

 

[unkl bob]

Eh, if it’s not Transparent Aluminum why bother?

"So is it worth something to you? Or should I just punch up 'CLEAR'?"

 

[jerryjohnson]

Titanium looked premium, but honestly aluminum iPhones have always felt better thermally.
If liquid metal solves both weight and heat, Apple will market it like crazy.

 

[Non-Euclidean]

Frenzied development of AI without proper boundaries + Amorphous Liquid metal development leads to

T-1000 series terminators

At least if they get old enough, you can throw them out of helicopters.

 

[IIGS User]

I love the Titanium on my 16PM. It really does feel like a quality product in your hand.

But it's not secret that heat is not it's friend. This phone routinely overheats when charging in my car (with the AC on). Especially if I'm also using it for Waze and Apple Music at the same time. The design is thermally challenged.

I skipped my annual upgrade this year. I was involuntarily "detained" during the launch and ship dates slipped enough following my discharge that I said the heck with it, I'll just wait until next year. But my intention is to get the 18 PM when it comes out.

 

[Siliconguy]

Ti-V-Al has a thermal conductivity of 7.2, pure titanium is at 16.3. There is a titanium-nickel-molybdenum alloy at 22.7. There is hope.

See the second table down on this page.

Titanium Alloys - Physical Properties

Physical properties of titanium and titanium alloys such as density strength, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, magnetic properties, elastic modulus, poissons ratio, tensile strength, hardness, creep, fatigue and fracture toughness are all covered.

www.azom.com

That does not change the fact that titanium is one of the least Green metals out there, but Green seems to be a casualty of the rush to AI.

 

[nylonsteel]

hope cost/benefit ratio is worth the cost to the consumers and company

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Meanwhile, liquid metal has been described as an "amorphous" material that Apple has been exploring for over 15 years. Apple has reportedly chosen the material, which is manufactured using a die-casting process, as a key component in addressing common issues with foldable devices.

We're calling it Liquid Metal because it's die cast? Doesn't any metal need to be a liquid before it's poured into a cast?

 

[nevinco]

We're calling it Liquid Metal because it's die cast? Doesn't any metal need to be a liquid before it's poured into a cast?

Liquid Metal, it's just a brand name for a type of amorphous metal. That's the structure of the material. Most metals are crystalline structure.
And I see your thinking about most metals being melted for production. This has nothing to do with its name. And also just to add, not all metals are melted for production. Tungsten melts at over 3000C (6000F) so its too impractical to melt anywhere along its production process, typically.

 

[tong_si_nan_pei]

Wasn’t titanium only on the device’s edges with the entire back made up of glass? How was it blocking heat with such a small surface area?

 

[Paul1964]

Wasn’t titanium only on the device’s edges with the entire back made up of glass? How was it blocking heat with such a small surface area?

Bad design?

 

[Green Valkyrie]

That's a nice bike

 

[t0rqx]

My cousin once told me, that Apple’s first and foremost reason to not use this in an iPhone is because of its crazy manufacturing process the tools needed to make an iPhone frame is crazy.

Second reason is this material is not suitable for heat transfer and the materials break suddenly under several situations.

Having said that, he told me Apple has been working for years to use and introduce graphite fames in iPhones.

 

[Palindrom]

due to the ugly 17 pro series design I went for a refurbished 16 pro max as an exchange for my 15pm which developed a screen damage in the past 2 weeks unfortunately.

17 Pro is not nice looking to me- the backside and the colors are just meeeh
Regular 17 and the air are pretty fine tho but both feel as a downgrade compared to the 15pm.

I hope that in the upcoming 2-3 years apple redesigns the pro series again. I would love to see titanium or stainless steel finish again.
Just transfer the airs glossy look to the pro series again