iPhone 12 Pro Stainless steel sucks and I wish Apple would ditch it

[krspkbl]

i prefer the look of aluminium but i will happily take the durability of stainless steel. i don't care if it gets scratched. i don't care how my iphone looks. yes i'll take care of it by putting it in a case and putting on a screen protector but i'm not gonna stress out about a phone getting scratched and showing some general wear + tear. i used to but i don't have the energy any more. it will scratch with either aluminium or stainless steel.

 

[C. Robert]

I've been to a few electronic stores and at all of them noticed that the aluminum phones had damage. I know its probably people screwing around but they did manage to damage them and not the stainless ones.

 

[ssledoux]

I agree. I like the aluminum better. I’m not a fan of the shiny stainless, nor the added weight. I think as the phones get bigger, that becomes even more of a consideration because you’re already adding more weight just by virtue of size, and then you add the heavier stainless - makes for a pretty heavy phone. I wish the backs of the phones were still aluminum too, but then maybe I’m just nostalgic that way.

I didn’t keep my stainless watch either - just more weight than I wanted, although I do love the look of the stainless on the watch.

 

[macher]

I've been to a few electronic stores and at all of them noticed that the aluminum phones had damage. I know its probably people screwing around but they did manage to damage them and not the stainless ones.

Were they in a case or naked?

 

[taneff]

I think with their 11/12 Pro line Apple goes for just one thing, looks over functionality. Stainless steel makes the already heavy devices even heavier and then this glass back looks amazing and without a case is useless as it is slippery as a soap. That + heavy SS is a very bad combo. Definitely not a Jony Ive design. Ridiculous. And if people now keep saying it doesn't matter because of the case then why is SS so important? Strange! If they do something like that they should give us the choice for every device, also for the Max device! Then no one I think would really care.

 

[eclipse01]

Stainless steel to me just puts a lot of pointless weight onto the phone, what is the point of stainless steel when you are just going to put a case over it? It makes sense on things like the Apple watch, but not so much on the phone.

oh and for the people saying it is more durable? It will still dent/scrape on drops pretty easily

 

[contacos]

I'd also take a lighter Max. Even with a clear case you cannot really tell the "more fashionable" stainless steel.

 

[ghostface147]

I love the stainless steel and the weight of it. I also don’t use a case at all. It’s the first model in a long time I can confidently hold and not lose my grip.

 

[patrick.a]

The gold one yes, but not so sure about the other colours. The iPods had a stainless steel enclosure and the early iPhones had stainless edgings to the displays and they weren't considered bling.

Yes, you're right. But these designs were quite different. Non of them had a flat, ultraglossy band running around the case.

 

[barkomatic]

I kinda like the shiny sides of the Pro but I just wish you could somehow polish out hairline marks on the painted models. I know you can easily do this on the silver models but the paint will come off on the others. Then again, I might get tempted to polish off the paint on my Pacific Blue iPhone at some point. A blue iPhone with a shiny silver side would be over the top. ha ha

I think you'll probably get your wish on the next design change in 3 years or so. At that point, Apple will have done shiny for awhile and they'll probably want to do something new.

 

[valinda]

I have the 12. When I was at Best Buy yesterday, I checked out the gold 12 pro max. Sides looked over shiny/bling, but it also could have been the lights making it worse at Best Buy.
If I really wanted the 12 pro max, that wouldn’t stop me from buying it. A case would take care of that problem.

 

[Skika]

I like my PB stainless steel Max, would not trade for aluminum.

 

[Lotuskid]

In renders and photos I thought the stainless looked bad. In hand I happen to appreciate the heft and significance of if.
Also when it’s in a case anyway the shiny bits are way more subtle and show through very slightly along the edges of the case, which i really like.

reminds me of the chamfer edges of the 5 series showing through the case edge. The aluminum rails wouldn't have that little glint.

I know super cosmetic and superficial but its still a nicety

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

There is no one on the planet that thinks that aluminum is a better metal than surgical grade 304L stainless steel on pretty much anything unless you have weak girly arms.

I think the 7075 is a better metal and appreciate the innovative qualities along with the mechanical properties that it provides. Your sweeping statement is rather false.

 

[Madtiger27]

I think the 7075 is a better metal and appreciate the innovative qualities along with the mechanical properties that it provides. Your sweeping statement is rather false.

So, why do you think Apple values 304L SS over Al in iPhones and Apple Watches? Why do expensive regular watches favor surgical grade SS over aluminum? Why do pretty much anything fancy favors SS over Al?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

So, why do you think Apple values 304L SS over Al in iPhones and Apple Watches? Why do expensive regular watches favor surgical grade SS over aluminum? Why do pretty much anything fancy favors SS over Al?

Because it’s marketable. The cost of each material is roughly the same so the mark up that is passed to us is not to cover material or process costs. You could ask why the aerospace industry prefers aluminium and titanium over stainless steel? It’s all to do with application. There is nothing inferior about 7075 series aluminium despite what iPhone users seem to imply.

 

[Madtiger27]

Because it’s marketable. The cost of each material is roughly the same so the mark up that is passed to us is not to cover material or process costs. You could ask why the aerospace industry prefers aluminium and titanium over stainless steel? It’s all to do with application. There is nothing inferior about 7075 series aluminium despite what iPhone users seem to imply.

Why do medical field uses 304 SS in their surgical instruments?

We can go around and around. But, in the end, if weight is not a priority (aerospace for example), surgical grade 304L SS is preferred for luxury/high end goods.

 

[C. Robert]

Were they in a case or naked?

Demo. models on tables without cases. You never know if people purposely scratched them but if they did the regular 12's you know they did the pros also. No pros had damage though.

 

[C. Robert]

Stainless steel to me just puts a lot of pointless weight onto the phone, what is the point of stainless steel when you are just going to put a case over it? It makes sense on things like the Apple watch, but not so much on the phone.

oh and for the people saying it is more durable? It will still dent/scrape on drops pretty easily

It's stronger than aluminum in every way.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Why do medical field uses 304 SS in their surgical instruments?

We can go around and around. But, in the end, if weight is not a priority (aerospace for example), surgical grade 304L SS is preferred for luxury/high end goods.

The medical field use it for hygiene reasons. Stainless steel is easier to sterilise and doesn’t cause reactions with the the human body during operations. Aluminium would be totally inappropriate as a material for items in direct contact with human tissue. As a mechanical engineer I use both of these metals in my field and both have different properties and advantages. Stainless steel has been marketed at consumers like yourself to believe it is a superior and more premium material when in fact in this instance it’s about the same rating as the alloy also used by Apple.

 

[BeeGood]

Is the durability really important if 90% of users are putting their phones in cases anyway? And ironically, the added weight and slip of stainless steel makes me instinctively want to put a case on it more. The aluminum phones, at least to me, feel safer to go caseless.

Well...if cases nullify the the importance of durability, then cases also nullify most of the criticisms in your OP right?

For the record, I rock my 12 Pro Max with no case. Love the stainless steel and the solid feel of the phone in general.

 

[russell_314]

Agreed a little bit but I wouldn’t say it sucks.

It’s much stronger than aluminum as shown in drop tests but scratches (and shows scratches easily).

I wish it was less shiny and less fingerprint prone.

Actually this isn't the case. While it is stronger the added weight causes problems that make drops worse. Either way I don't mind the stainless steel on my 12 Pro Max and it stays in a case.

 

[C. Robert]

Actually this isn't the case. While it is stronger the added weight causes problems that make drops worse. Either way I don't mind the stainless steel on my 12 Pro Max and it stays in a case.

There are plenty of drop test that show stainless fairing better than aluminum. It's just science that it's stronger that aluminum and yes its heavier but there aren't any videos of bending it like they did the aluminum phones. My MacBooks that have all been aluminum always get little nicks and dents easily. Ive bumped into wood with my Mac and its bent. I think people try to justify their purchases by making these comparisons. If you like aluminum then thats great but alot of people would pay good money for a better, stronger material.

 

[Madtiger27]

The medical field use it for hygiene reasons. Stainless steel is easier to sterilise and doesn’t cause reactions with the the human body during operations. Aluminium would be totally inappropriate as a material for items in direct contact with human tissue. As a mechanical engineer I use both of these metals in my field and both have different properties and advantages. Stainless steel has been marketed at consumers like yourself to believe it is a superior and more premium material when in fact in this instance it’s about the same rating as the alloy also used by Apple.

It is marketed that way because it is a superior luxury good. Rolex don’t make aluminum watches. Omega same. At the high end of luxury goods, SS and titanium rule. There is no aluminum high end watches in existence.

 

[C. Robert]

It is marketed that way because it is a superior luxury good. Rolex don’t make aluminum watches. Omega same. At the high end of luxury goods, SS and titanium rule. There is no aluminum high end watches in existence.

stainless watch