The aluminum iPhone 17 Pro dents easily, so Apple has another replacement in mind

Titanium, though it felt great, led to overheating problems for the iPhone. Apple had to switch to aluminum with the iPhone 17 to mitigate that problem, but that meant that the phones now dented very easily from the smallest of drops.

A solution is in the works

Fortunately, the company is reportedly actively looking for a solution instead of ignoring the issue. And, funnily enough, that might mean a return to titanium, the material that Apple boasted about so much during its previous launch events before abandoning it last year.

In addition to titanium, however, there is another material that the company might consider as well.

New iPhone chassis materials

According to a new report (translated source), there are two possible choices that Apple could make for the material that it uses to design future iPhone models:

• Liquid metal
• Titanium

Liquid metal is very expensive, so making phones with that — especially at the scale of the iPhone — is almost out of the question. Nevertheless, if the foldable iPhone Ultra, which will feature a hinge made of liquid metal, is a success, then it opens up interesting possibilities for Apple.

A return to titanium?

The most likely scenario, however, is a return to titanium. According to the report, Apple is researching an improved version of titanium that will be lighter and will be better at thermal conductivity.

If such a type of titanium is perfected, then Apple will most likely start using it for iPhone manufacturing immediately.

A time of flux for Apple

Apple’s product lines have been evolving unusually fast this past year or two. The company kicked off its grand three-year plan for the iPhone with the iPhone 17 Pro, with more redesigns planned for the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 20 Pro.

In addition, Apple has jumped into smart glasses research with extreme gusto according to reports. And, of course, who could forget the highly anticipated foldable iPhone Ultra that is slated to come out this year.

We also have the MacBook Neo, continuing the relatively new trend of more annual mid-range Apple products that the company kickstarted with the iPhone 16e. It’s a great time to be an Apple fan.

However, if neither aluminum nor titanium are working great for its phones, perhaps Apple should consider using a solution that works for its competitors until it can perfect is material choice and go back to doing things the Apple way.

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