Next year, some iPhone models might get sturdier than ever before.
According to a report by JP Morgan Chase (via MacRumors), Apple plans to equip the Pro models in its iPhone 14 series of devices — likely coming next year — with a titanium alloy chassis.
This would be a first for the iPhone; previously Apple used aluminum and stainless steel for the iPhone. Titanium is harder and more resistant to scratches, more resistant to corrosion, and lighter than stainless steel.
However, titanium is harder to etch, and it’s quite prone to fingerprint marks. Apple reportedly has a fix for both issues, by using an oxide coating which should get rid of fingerprints, as well as a new blasting, etching and chemical process that should give titanium a glossier finish.
Notably, Apple does already use titanium for its Apple Watch Edition, which used to have a ceramic case.
It’s hard to tell, but these Apple Watch models have a titanium case.
Credit: apple
In other Apple rumors, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter that Apple plans to bring Face ID to basically all relevant devices, including all iPads, Macs, and the iPhone SE range. There’s no clear timeline on this, though, but it should eventually happen. And you know what that means: Notches on iPhones are here to stay, even though this year’s iPhone 13 is rumored to come with a smaller notch than previous models.
