A leaker claims Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models in 2025 will continue to boast a titanium chassis just like the current iPhone 16 Pro models. Conflicting with a previous report of Apple adopting an aluminum chassis across its 2025 lineup. The new claim comes courtesy of the Weibo leaker known as “Instant Digital.”
In November, The Information‘s Wayne Ma claimed that Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will boast “significant design changes,” including the use of an aluminum chassis, making it the first “Pro” models to be equipped with an aluminum frame since Apple began offering Pro portion of the iPhone lineup.
Before the release of the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, flagship iPhones used stainless steel frames. The titanium frame of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max was promoted as a major upgrade.
Now, Instant Digital, in Weibo post, says the iPhone 17 Pro will continue to feature a titanium frame. (Google translation.)
The 17 Pro is of course still titanium, why would you believe it was replaced with aluminum? Think about it, it’s impossible. Looking back at the iPhone in recent years, Apple has always focused on promoting the high-end frame materials of the Pro series as one of its selling points, from “surgical grade stainless steel” to “titanium”. How can it be said that it was replaced with aluminum?
Instant Digital doesn’t offer up any supply chain information to back up their claim. However, Apple has been known to remove “groundbreaking” features from later iPhone lineups. For example, one of the killer features of the iPhone 6s was 3D Touch, which brought pressure-sensitive features like Peek and Pop. Apple in 2099 dropped 3D touch and the capacitive sensors used for the feature with the release of the iPhone 11 in 2019.
Instant Digital has a somewhat mixed track record when it comes to Apple rumors. The leaker has scored with predicting the yellow iPhone 14, the frosted back glass of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus spatial video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro, and others.
The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to be unveiled in 2025, so we’ll continue to see rumors like this over the next 10 months.
