The latest iPhone 15 Pro leak explains why Apple switched to titanium

The iPhone 15 is almost upon us, pinch Apple group to unveil nan caller smartphone bid adjacent Tuesday. A last-minute iPhone 15 leak gave america a bunch of specifications astir each nan products Apple will denote astatine nan show, including nan 4 caller iPhone models.

Among nan leaks, we person estimates for nan weight of nan iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. These 2 models will reportedly athletics titanium alloy chassis that should beryllium lighter and much durable than stainless steel. We’ve known this for months, but this mightiness beryllium nan first weight estimate for nan caller Pro versions. And it’s besides awesome news astir artillery life, different area wherever nan iPhone 15 bid will bring improvements.

Titanium rumors

Various iPhone 15 rumors said successful nan past fewer months that nan iPhone 15 Pro models would move to titanium. Apple is yet fresh to bring nan worldly to devices bigger than nan Apple Watch. And I couldn’t beryllium much excited. It’s nan 1 characteristic that would beryllium capable for maine to pay much money for nan iPhone 15 Pro. Not that I’m upgrading my iPhone 14 Pro this year.

But now that nan iPhone 15 Pros are getting titanium frames, I expect Apple to usage nan aforesaid alloys successful its iPhone 16 Pro models adjacent year. Moreover, if the Apple Watch 3D printing experiments work, we mightiness spot titanium utilized connected cheaper devices arsenic well. Apple could amended manufacturing costs importantly via 3D printing.

Separately, iPhone 15 creation rumors said nan iPhone will get somewhat thicker. Not by much, conscionable astir 0.4 mm. But that’s capable to boost artillery life connected nan iPhone 15 models. Apple tin summation artillery capacities crossed nan board. Add nan A17 Bionic’s rumored stellar ratio gains, and artillery life tin spot a large boost connected nan iPhone 15 Pros.

How overmuch will nan iPhone 15 Pro weigh? 

Putting these rumors together, I couldn’t thief but wonderment whether larger artillery packs mightiness offset nan weight gains we get from titanium. Mark Gurman’s latest iPhone 15 report connected Bloomberg yet sheds immoderate ray connected that. “People pinch knowledge of nan caller devices” informed Gurman that nan move to titanium makes nan telephone “more durable and astir 10% lighter.”

Applying that weight trim to nan iPhone 14 Pro models tin springiness america a unsmooth estimate for nan iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.

Weight comparison betwixt iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone X. Image source: Apple Inc.

The smaller iPhone 15 Pro mightiness measurement astir 185 grams, which is 10% little than nan iPhone 14 Pro astatine 206 grams. The iPhone 15 Pro Max mightiness measurement astir 216 grams compared to nan iPhone 14 Pro Max astatine 240 grams. Those reductions successful weight would beryllium rather significant.

I switched from nan iPhone X (174 grams) to nan iPhone 14 Pro (206 grams) past September, and nan weight was 1 of my biggest gripes astir nan caller phone. Assuming nan estimate supra is accurate, nan large driblet successful weight would beryllium awesome news to this longtime user.

Weight comparison betwixt iPhone 14 Plus Max, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 Pro. Image source: Apple Inc.

Gurman doesn’t mention artillery capacities for nan iPhone 15 series. But he points retired that nan biggest enhancements from that A17 Bionic spot that powers nan caller Pros are artillery life savings.

Still, if nan iPhone 15 creation leaks are accurate, we are getting larger batteries from each iPhone models. And they should not effect nan wide weight. For example, nan iPhone 14 Pro has a somewhat larger artillery battalion than nan iPhone 13 Pro, arsenic it’s 0.2 mm thicker. But that translates to a weight summation of conscionable 2 grams. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has nan aforesaid weight arsenic nan iPhone 14 Pro Max.