The iPhone 17 Air could feature a titanium chassis.
Apple could decide to switch up the chassis materials for its 2025 iPhone line, as an unlikely rumor suggests that the slim iPhone 17 will adopt a titanium midframe instead of the expected iPhone 17 Pro.
While Apple enthusiasts eagerly await the arrival of the fourth-generation iPhone SE, which is expected to be revealed on February 19, rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 range continue to emerge. Apple is expected to introduce an updated line of devices with significant changes affecting the design and materials used.
Apple reportedly wants to replace its existing Plus line with a redesigned iPhone 17 Slim, with a 6.6-inch display, ProMotion, and a single rear camera. Now we have more details about the chassis materials Apple will allegedly use for this device.
As originally reported by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu claims that Apple’s purported iPhone 17 Slim or Air will be equipped with a titanium chassis rather than the tried-and-true aluminum typically used for base-model iPhones.
Titanium is notably heavier than aluminum, making its use for the mid-tier iPhone 17 an unusual choice, given that the device is meant to be ultra-thin and lightweight. Pu himself said that the iPhone 17 Air would be only 6mm thin, so it’s unclear why Apple would opt to use a heavier material for its thinnest iPhone.
It’s not entirely impossible, however, as analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has similarly said that the device will be housed in a titanium-aluminum frame. Apple could opt to use an alloy with a significantly smaller amount of titanium compared to the Grade 5 Titanium of the iPhone 15 Pro, where aluminum only makes up six percent of the alloy.
The iPhone 17 Pro might feature an aluminum midframe
As for the remainder of the iPhone 17 range, Pu believes that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all feature an aluminum frame, which aligns with a previous rumor. It’s worth noting, though, that other leakers have disputed and questioned the veracity of this claim, insisting that Apple will maintain its current use of titanium on the Pro models.
The iPhone 17 Pro might ditch titanium in favor of aluminum as the chassis material.
The alleged motivation behind the change could have to do with Apple’s recent interest in carbon neutrality. The company has committed to a 100% carbon neutral footprint by 2030, with products such as the M4 Mac mini marketed as the company’s first “carbon neutral Mac.”
Although Apple has repeatedly received criticism for its endeavors dealing with climate change, the iPhone 17 range could be marketed in more or less the same way, establishing a clear pattern and outlining the company’s priorities in the process. It remains to be seen whether or not the iPhone 17 line will feature aluminum frames after all, though, as there is no consensus among leakers.
It seems odd to suggest Apple would use aluminum in the line and titanium in the lightweight model. It throws the entire rumor into question, especially given the leaker’s spotty history.
Wired fast charging up to 35W on iPhone 17
Jeff Pu has provided numerous claims surrounding the iPhone 17 range, saying that the iPhone 17 Air would be 6 mm thin, and that the devices would feature 12 GB of RAM. Now he says that devices belonging to the 2025 iPhone 17 lineup will support wired charging speeds up to 35 W.
The iPhone 16 Pro only improved wireless charging.
In our review of the iPhone 16 Pro, we hit 34W of power with suitable wired charging gear, and we’ve seen reports of some users getting 39W while charging.
According to leaker ShrimpApplePro, however, the iPhone 16 range is already capable of charging at speeds of up to 45 W via a cable, which is faster than the purported iPhone 17 charging speed provided by Pu, though unofficial.
It appears the iPhone 17 range won’t introduce any noteworthy improvements to wired charging speeds, despite all of the different design changes and new features Apple has planned for its 2025 iPhone lineup.
It’s worth pointing out, however, that Jeff Pu has a relatively poor history with product timetables, and he’s had poor results when making unique claims like the launch of “AirPods Lite” that never materialized. Ultimately, it remains to be seen if any of these features will make their debut in September, and given the contradictory nature of some of these rumors, it is rated unlikely.
