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Happens even to phones in cases.

Cases don’t eliminate the impact force or bluntness of it in many circumstances, especially if very form fitting.
What are you doing to dent a phone through a case? My 13 in one of the cheapest cases I could find is still pristine. I’ve dropped it from head height onto concrete and tarmac. Are you throwing yours off a bridge into traffic or something?
 
Not sure why people think this is a downgrade? The Pro phones were too heavy, lighter material is an upgrade.
Aluminum is only lighter than titanium at the same volume. It is heavier at the same strength.

That’s why the titanium phones became both slightly smaller and lighter. (They were still heavier than the regular because auf the extra bulk like cameras.)

With aluminum they still need the same strength, so they might become bigger again, and possibly even heavier.

(Alternatively, the frame will become bigger on the "inside", shrinking free space for batteries.)
 
What are you doing to dent a phone through a case? My 13 in one of the cheapest cases I could find is still pristine. I’ve dropped it from head height onto concrete and tarmac. Are you throwing yours off a bridge into traffic or something?

Drops where corner hits the ground. Took out my first 13 Mini.
I’m really careful and it still bit me when carrying stuff from my car

😔
 
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Cheaper Build of materials = more profits. This serves the spreadsheet better. That matters most. Everything else is secondary. A lighter phone is not a bad thing, but it comes at the expense of the hardware bling that Apple is capable of. Make of it what you will and purchase accordingly. This is modern Apple now, a culture of old and new where the money comes before the product, and not the other way around that got them here in the first place. That is how the cringe marketing gets released. Afterthoughts galore these days.
 
Drops where corner hits the ground. Took out my first 13 Mini.
I’m really careful and it still bit me when carrying stuff from my car

😔
Weird. My first big drop with my 13 landed on the top left corner (I know because the case has damage there) and the phone was fine. I think you might have just had bad luck.
 
Weird. My first big drop with my 13 landed on the top left corner (I know because the case has damage there) and the phone was fine. I think you might have just had bad luck.

No kidding! It did allow me to buy one with more storage though, so that was good.

Since it appears to be the last mini phone ever, I’m glad I have a maxed out version.
 
I support a move back to aluminum. Aluminum is a great material and has mature tech to finish/color it. Apple made such a big deal about using Liquidmetal a few years ago that I'd expect to see more of that in this year's models. I also like their stainless steel designs, but I remember quite a few people didn't like the added heft that came with the stainless steel.

That said, I doubt I'll get a 17 Pro if the leaked designs turn out to be accurate. I find it hideous. Maybe the 17 Air will be real and will look nice!
 
I hate the weight of smartphones. I've never been a fan of SS or titanium for them.
 
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They probably want to make the iPhone Air as light as possible but making it aluminum while keeping the Pro in titanium would make the Air to not look premium.
 
I know why... aluminum is also cheaper than titanium lol
Fair to point out that aluminum has better heat dispersing properties than titanium. As the processors are doing more for all these dumb AI features, it's possible Apple determined the durability needed to take a seat for heat reduction reasons.
 
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Aluminum is only lighter than titanium at the same volume. It is heavier at the same strength.

That’s why the titanium phones became both slightly smaller and lighter. (They were still heavier than the regular because auf the extra bulk like cameras.)

With aluminum they still need the same strength, so they might become bigger again, and possibly even heavier.

(Alternatively, the frame will become bigger on the "inside", shrinking free space for batteries.)

The frame has always been aluminum on the inside, including on the 15 and 16 Pro. There was only a very thin titanium band wrapped around the outside.
 


Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year.

iPhone-17-Pro-in-Hand-Feature-Lowgo.jpg

In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum frame, with a glass section on the back of the devices to preserve MagSafe and Qi wireless charging support. This part-aluminum, part-glass design for iPhone 17 Pro models was previously reported by The Information's Wayne Ma, and it is now backed by an additional source.

Apple has continued to use aluminum frames for the lower-end iPhone models each year, including the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature titanium frames, so the return to aluminum for the Pro models would be a notable change. Instant Digital said the aluminum frame will be very thin, and they expect the iPhone 17 Pro models to feature ultra-thin bezels.

Aluminum is lighter and cheaper than titanium, but Apple's reasons for allegedly shifting back to the material are unknown at this point.

A previous rumor indicated that the all-new "iPhone 17 Air" model will still use a mix of titanium.

Instant Digital has more than 1.4 million followers on Weibo, and the account has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, like most sources, the account does not have a perfect track record.

Apple will announce the iPhone 17 series in September, so we will find out if and why the company returns to aluminum in a few more months.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Cost cutting. Wonder if this will be marketed as a green initiative. The aluminum frames bent too damn easy. I'd imagine we'll get this as a result.

I'd much rather have a flat backed iPhone, where when I lay the thing down on a table and play a game with it the stupid phone doesn't bounce around because the camera makes the whole thing unevan.
 
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I don’t really care what it’s made of. It’s a phone, not a Rolex. I actually prefer aluminum. It’s light and it feels good in the hand. Also, if switching to a cheaper material means the price stays the same, I’m all for it!
 
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“Aluminum is lighter and cheaper than titanium, but Apple's reasons for allegedly shifting back to the material are unknown at this point.”

Really? Unknown? cmon. Easy, this is cost optimization. Perplexing way of reporting on this, given who your audience is. Sure we can kid ourselves and say it’s not cost because we haven’t heard it from Apple, but we’ll never hear it from Apple.
 
Not happy about this. My titanium 15 Pro Max is the most durable iPhone I've ever owned and it still looks brand new and I don't use a case. Aluminum will dent much more easily.
I think you’re thinking of the iPhone 6. That phone was terrible. The 7000 series aluminum that was introduced on the 6S was far more durable. As long as Apple doesn’t cheap out and give us an inferior alloy to the 6S, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about dents.
 
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