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Report: iPhone 14 Pro Models to Feature Tough Titanium Alloy Chassis
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LOL. Suffice it to say I am hard on iPhones so would like to ditch the huge plastic cases I use to keep them from being utterly destroyed.
Not according to Titanium Apple Watch owners.
Other than bragging rights, I really don't see the point of this.
I'm not sure if Apple wants to do this. Titanium is still very expensive to work with, specially more so with the type of precision machining needed for an iPhone chassis.
The thickness of iPhones has gone from 7.6 mm (SE 2016) to 6.9 mm (6), 7.1 mm (6S and 7), 7.3 mm (8 and SE 2020), 7.7 mm (X and XS), 8.3 mm (XR and 11), 8.1 mm (11 Pro and Pro Max) and 7.4 mm (12 series). Meanwhile, the camera has progressed from 5 elements (6, 6S and SE 2016) to 6 elements (7 onwards until 11 Pro and Pro Max) and now 7 (12 series). So, more sophisticated cameras coupled with Apple’s obsession with thin devices means we have to live with a camera bump.
How how exactly is this Apple’s fault? If you think they are some benevolent entity, who’s goal is to simply create the best technology right now and profits be damned, then you’d absolutely be correct. But you’re not, because thats not what they do.
There will always be something better and long gone are the days where a company the size of Apple put forth their absolutely best effort each and every time when they didn’t need to do so. Simple response- You don’t have to buy it.
Google "Essential PH 1".
Been there and done that on an Android phone years ago. Apple is late to that party.
Been there and done that on an Android phone years ago. Apple is late to that party.
Huh? Most titanium alloys are softer than most stainless steel alloys, and titanium scratches very easily - so much that I do not really care about scratches in my ti gear, it is basically the natural state.
And fingerprints on titanium, seriously? Titanium is about as non-reactive as it gets. That is why it has been an excellent material for handles for decades, e.g. for high end knives, or in pens. Or is this really just complaining about the faint and completely temporary marks you get on any polished surface? Yes, polished ti gets that just like polished steel, but on steel those marks can actually rust.
Remember, Apple holds lots of patents for Liquidmetal, and it uses alloys that contain Titanium, and it is stronger and cheaper than stainless steel.
This may be what is really happening, finally after 10 years of Apple investing and doing R&D on LQMT.
This may be what is really happening, finally after 10 years of Apple investing and doing R&D on LQMT.
hah been using my iPhone SE 2016 naked since Day 1. Just has daily scuffs on the frame and back, otherwise still perfect; no marks or etches on the display either. However, I have put a few scratches on my beloved iPad mini 5 display. They're hardly noticeable at a glance, but they show up when viewed from certain angles. It's also naked with some scuffs brewing on the tiny edges and the back. Cases be dammed.
It's a beautiful device and should be shown that way as the artists intended. Do you cover all the beautiful things in life? Car? SO? TV?
I also think cases preclude us to being careless and compound carelessness. Case makers make you believe you aren't worthy of carrying the device alone and that you are irresponsible. You give them the power to control you and your wallet. I disagree. It's all just marketing. You are better than that.
I also believe the poor design of the iPhone 6-11 made matters worse with rounded edges. The squared edges of iPhone 4-SE provide a more solid grip surface, to which the iPhone 12 returns. I did find my iPhone 6 difficult to grasp, which is a major reason why I traded it in for the iPhone SE (and paid full cash to unlock it).
Don't let case makers lie to you. 🙂 You're better than they want you to believe. (Don't let anyone lie to you, for that matter...)
I did that with my 5S. The 5S/SE 2016 had a great weight/mass/dimensions ratio, that made you feel it was OK to get some scuffs as it was pretty hard to damage.
As you say, as the phones got bigger and heavier, the chance of something seriously being damaged with a drop, massively increased.
I would never use my XR without a silicone case, as you can tell that a drop onto a hard surface from 1 metre + is going to break something.
I think that from the 6 onwards (excluding the SE 2016), the 'form' started to significantly outbalance the 'function' - meaning that part of the function is at least a semi-rugged device that doesn't scratch whenever it's looked at (I exaggerate of course).