It was clear as early as 2017 that metal is the preferred material for a phone body. But which metal? Aluminum is the default, Apple used stainless steel for a few years before switching to titanium, and Samsung followed this move as well.
Each has its advantages. Aluminum is cheap and lightweight. Stainless steel offers great strength, but is too heavy. This may be why Apple had to switch to titanium: it’s stronger than aluminum but lighter than steel. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max weighs 240g, the 15 Pro Max weighs 221g.
Titanium, of course, is difficult to machine and expensive, so it is used in limited quantities. As you may have seen in JerryRig’s eager exploration, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra uses an aluminum and plastic chassis to hold the titanium strips that form the exterior. Apple’s construction for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max is slightly different, and the titanium is fused directly to the aluminum frame.
Aluminum isn’t the hardest of metals, so only well-designed phones managed to survive the usual bending tests. Aluminum also scratches and dents easily if you drop your phone, stainless steel and titanium are more durable.
As far as stainless steel goes, Apple is the only manufacturer that’s made a real attempt to use it in mass-market phones and it’s lasted for quite a while, from 2017’s iPhone Last year. There’s just no way around the weight issue.
When looking for a new phone, will you only focus on devices that use titanium, or is aluminum fine? Do you wish some company would give stainless steel another try?
Start a new Thread