After two years, Apple's iPhone Pro series switched from titanium back to aluminum
Apple switched back to aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro series as the latter material dissipates heat more effectively than titanium does. This has become more important with the additional heat generated by more powerful application processors and more advanced AI features. Returning to aluminum allows Apple to reduce the weight of the premium iPhone models while keeping the device strong, durable, and stable. Additionally, titanium is more expensive and harder to use as a smartphone build. It causes production speeds to slow while putting manufacturing tools through more wear and tear.
Which build do you want to see on the Galaxy S26 Ultra?
Titanium.
63.27%
Aluminum.
20.41%
Not sure.
16.33%
Apple still used titanium on the iPhone Air which debuted this past September. Using this material allowed Apple to build such a thin (5.6mm) handset that remained rigid. The Apple Watch Ultra relies on titanium to make the premium timepiece rugged and durable. Interestingly, Apple's first titanium iPhone models were released in 2023 and just months later Samsung followed up by using a titanium build for the 2024 Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Leaker's list of Galaxy S26 Ultra colors contains a huge hint about the phone's build
With Apple ditching titanium in 2025, it shouldn't be surprising that just a few months later, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is also expected to return to an aluminum build (more specifically, Armor Aluminum 2.0) in 2026.
Compare these rumored color options with the standard colors that were available everywhere for the Galaxy S25 Ultra:
Titanium Silverblue
Titanium Whitesilver
Titanium Gray
Titanium Black
The Galaxy S25 Ultra colors that were exclusive to Samsung.com were:
Titanium Jetblack
Titanium Jadegreen
Titanium Pinkgold
Galaxy S24 Ultra standard colors:
Titanium Black
Titanium Gray
Titanium Violet
Titanium Yellow
The Samsung.com exclusive colors for Galaxy S24 Ultra featured:
Titanium Blue
Titanium Green
Titanium Orange
Notice a difference between the forecast color names for the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the ones that were actually used on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra? The forecast color names for the Galaxy S26 Ultra do not start with "Titanium." Ice Universe's tweet seems to confirm the rumors about Samsung dropping the titanium build on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
This tweet from leaker Ice Universe contains a hint about the Galaxy S26 Ultra. | Image credit-X
Last week, we also took a look at some new rumored upgrades for the Galaxy S26 Ultra that you might be interested in. With a possible unveiling late next month leading to a possible February unveiling, there are still plenty of rumor days available before Samsung reveals the real specs. Keep checking in with us at PhoneArena for the latest speculation regarding the next iteration of Samsung's popular flagship smartphone line.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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