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Just put a skin on it
 

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Unibody doesn't feel more solid?
I bet if nobody told them it was aluminum, most of these people complaining wouldn't even know.
 
TBH when it comes to the 'plateau' I think the square camera box on the 11/12/13/14/15/16 was uglier. I think I like the way google does it on the pixel phones better:

1758745376521.png



Among everything else, there is one camera bump. No tapers. No weird extra bits sticking out around the lenses. Clean and simple.

There's something about the curvature of the edges of the plateau that I find unsettling. I'm not sure what it is exactly. But otherwise the 17 pro looks fine to me. And I was surprised to realize that, because when I saw the initial renders I thought it was ugly!
 
TBH when it comes to the 'plateau' I think the square camera box on the 11/12/13/14/15/16 was uglier. I think I like the way google does it on the pixel phones better:

View attachment 2558039


Among everything else, there is one camera bump. No tapers. No weird extra bits sticking out around the lenses. Clean and simple.

There's something about the curvature of the edges of the plateau that I find unsettling. I'm not sure what it is exactly. But otherwise the 17 pro looks fine to me. And I was surprised to realize that, because when I saw the initial renders I thought it was ugly!
i had the pixel 9 pro (externally similar to pixel 10 pro) before trading it in for an iphone 17 pro. and while the design of the pixel 9 pro is fine, i liked it better with the official google case. like, i wanted to put a case on it because i don't like all the shiny silver and stuff on it. like, i liked the regular pixel 9 more because the metal was matte. but, wanted the pro for the better camera and specs. also, pixel 9 pro's camera visor in my eye is like a giant pill-shaped protrusion. so, instead of 3 individual lenses protruding, the pixel is under a "visor." maybe this is just subjective, but i prefer apple's approach to the camera bump (now called plateau) where the lenses are arranged in a triangle and the lens protrude because well... it's a lens. it reminds me of the Bolex H16 camera. so, pixel has visor and it protrudes from the phone as one giant pill-shape protrusion whereas, the iphone's plateau protrudes more elegantly, imo. maybe pictures are worth a thousand words because it's hard to explain.

pixel 9 pro with official google case more "elegant" cuz the visor protrusion has a curve
Screenshot 2025-09-24 171312.jpg



no case, and the pill-shape protrusion is really pronounce
Screenshot 2025-09-24 171251.jpg


iphone 17 pro naked imo is like the pixel 9 pro with the official google case since the plateau or camera bump has that curve. to me, i like the phone naked without a case where i didn't feel the same with the pixel 9 pro. and the iphone 17 pro also looks great with the techwoven case imo
Screenshot 2025-09-24 171237.jpg



so, to sum up, the iphone's camera "bump" is more gradual like steps. so, it's like a plateau and then 3 lenses act like hills or something. lol

versus, pixels visor is like a "building" or "structure" on the back of the phone!

PS: iphone 17 pro feels pretty premium to me
 
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Comparing the Pro and Air design is like trying to compare a half-ton pickup to a sleek sports sedan. But of course we have those that ONLY buy trucks and those that would NEVER buy a truck.

So here we are, 21 pages later…
 
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I actually like it. It has grown on me. Not cheap looking at all for me. Specially if I paid over $1,200 for it. I did get the deep blue instead of the orange. That orange grew out of favor after a few days looking at it on the Internet.
 
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Yeah because the F150’s aluminum bed gets crushed with certain loads, just like the new Pro. Unlike Chevy 1500’s high strength steel bed, and previous Pro phones.

Please show me an example on the 17 Pro getting crushed. It has shown so far, with various entities testing it, to hold up just as well as last years Pro model, if not in some cases better.

At the very least it holding up no worse than last year's iPhone 16 Pro.

In fact several tests put it almost completely on par with the Air, in terms of how many pounds of force it can withhold before it breaks.
 
Please show me an example on the 17 Pro getting crushed. It has shown so far, with various entities testing it, to hold up just as well as last years Pro model, if not in some cases better.

At the very least it holding up no worse than last year's iPhone 16 Pro.

In fact several tests put it almost completely on par with the Air, in terms of how many pounds of force it can withhold before it breaks.
I’m not sure if you’re being serious or not. Everything you’ve said is completely backwards. Are you intentionally being daft?

Examples of the Pro being crushed like an aluminum beer can are all over the internet.
 
I’m not sure if you’re being serious or not. Everything you’ve said is completely backwards. Are you intentionally being daft?

Examples of the Pro being crushed like an aluminum beer can are all over the internet.

They are? Where? Show me one? Just to be clear I am not talking about "scratchgate" here. Show me where a 17Pro has been crushed like an aluminum beer can.
 
Here’s one from one of our very own.

Yes and there is an entire thread on that video. Basically the owner had the iPhone 17 Pro attached to a tripod and the entire tripod fell to the ground, again with the 17 Pro going down with it. Of course we have no idea the exact height of the fall, but we can surmise that any iPhone falling to ground with the additional force and weight from a tripod would do some damage to exact spot where it contacted the ground.

But that hardly amounts to being crushed in my book.

It's also worth noting that the screen survived that fall intact with no damage, which is actually very impressive. While I will agree that a titanium frame would not suffer the type of cosmetic damage that we see in that video, this thread has already quite conclusively demonstrated that Apple's decision to go with an aluminum frame would have certain tradeoffs. But it has also shown that the new iPhone 17 Pro is less susceptible to it's screen being damaged than past iPhones.

We can all argue over whether we like or agree with these tradeoffs, but the new iPhone 17 Pro is more durable in other areas that the majority of people care about.
 
This one was in a case
Reddit 1
Reddit 2
Reddit 3

Here’s 4 more after 2 minutes of searching. All 5 examples are crushed in my book. Not one of these is acceptable damage. Titanium and stainless steel phones would not have endured these types of damages. They would have been scuffed, sure, but not pushed so far in the frame wraps around the screen.

You absolutely cannot attribute the use of aluminum to the screens not shattering. That’s so insane, knowing how good Ceramic Shield 2 has been proven to be.
 
I don't buy a phone because of the material used.
Don't care if it's plastic, aluminum, steel, etc...

All I care about are the features I want - not what others want.

Being a Boomer gen - I'd have to say I am quite pleased with the Air mainly because the 16 Pro was just too heavy and I never used the Pro features.

Weight and manipulation with my arthritic fingers is the most important criteria.
Battery life is my #2 criteria, all other features are a non starter.

Matter of fact, I have not used the camera feature at all since getting the Air....

I seem to be the perfect Air customer ?
Well it sounds like the Air is a perfect fit for you. I am just as content with my 17 Pro Max.
 
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This one was in a case
Reddit 1
Reddit 2
Reddit 3

Here’s 4 more after 2 minutes of searching. All 5 examples are crushed in my book. Not one of these is acceptable damage. Titanium and stainless steel phones would not have endured these types of damages. They would have been scuffed, sure, but not pushed so far in the frame wraps around the screen.

You absolutely cannot attribute the use of aluminum to the screens not shattering. That’s so insane, knowing how good Ceramic Shield 2 has been proven to be.

You realize this happens every year right. Look at the iPhone 16 Pro from last year here on YouTube.

Oh look the titanium frame getting crushed and dented. This is what happens now.

People see these influencers like the Jerryrigeverything guy causing intentional damage to these new phones and so you get more and more of these each and every year. It's really nothing new.

Your anecdotal reports from places like Reddit prove nothing.
 
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You realize this happens every year right. Look at the iPhone 16 Pro from last year here on YouTube.

Oh look the titanium frame getting crushed and dented. This is what happens now.

People see these influencers like the Jerryrigeverything guy causing intentional damage to these new phones and so you get more and more of these each and every year. It's really nothing new.

Your anecdotal reports from places like Reddit prove nothing.
Beat me too it. 😂
 
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You realize this happens every year right. Look at the iPhone 16 Pro from last year here on YouTube.

Oh look the titanium frame getting crushed and dented. This is what happens now.

People see these influencers like the Jerryrigeverything guy causing intentional damage to these new phones and so you get more and more of these each and every year. It's really nothing new.

Your anecdotal reports from places like Reddit prove nothing.
Those are scuffed, not dented. You’re conveniently (for you) misrepresenting what’s happening here vs what happened to the 15/16. Furthermore, some of these 17 examples were from two feet high, and some with cases!
My several examples of anecdotal evidence is less important than your one video? That doesn’t even corroborate your narrative, to add. None of the examples I shared were intentional either. Come on, be a little more genuine here.
 
Those are scuffed, not dented. You’re conveniently (for you) misrepresenting what’s happening here vs what happened to the 15/16. Furthermore, some of these 17 examples were from two feet high, and some with cases!
My several examples of anecdotal evidence is less important than your one video? That doesn’t even corroborate your narrative, to add. None of the examples I shared were intentional either. Come on, be a little more genuine here.

They are dented bro. I don't know what else to tell ya. These videos come about every year. It's almost comical at this point.

You realize that Apple has been making iPhones out of aluminum for more than a decade now. While it's new to the Pro line, it's not new to the iPhone family.

The base models have used aluminum for a while now. Given that Apple sells way more base models than they do Pro models, world wide, it's safe to say that people are more than aware now of what happens when you drop your aluminum iPhone. If aluminum was so terrible as you keep trying to make it out to be, people would have abandoned Apple a long, long time ago.

Anyone who drops their iPhone, regardless of what material it is made out of, runs the risk that there is going to some kind of damage to their phone, ranging from anything such as scuffs, dents, dings, scratches, all the way up to glass breakage.

Titanium may hold up better with some types of drops, but in other cases it's going to show damage. If you are going to make as big of a deal as you seem to be making about damage to your iPhone if its dropped onto the ground, I would say that scuff marks and dents and scratches ruin the so called "premium" experience of owning such a "premium" material device.

If your titanium iPhone is scuffed and dented on its frame from several drops over the course of its life, how is that any different than what we are seeing with the iPhone 17 Pro. It's still damaged.

That is real damage to the iPhone 16 Pro in that YouTube video and there are countless more. I don't care if an iPhone is made out of Jesus Loin Cloth it is going to get some kind of damage if it is dropped onto the ground.

There is no getting around that.
 
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