Apple has made a surprising design decision for its upcoming iPhone 17 models. The company will ship only one model with a titanium design this year – the iPhone 17 Air. This move comes as a reversal of expectations, given that Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, also featured a titanium design.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new iPhone 17 Air will exclusively use titanium in its design, although it may have a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames. This mix of materials is seen as a compromise between durability and weight savings.
The decision to reserve titanium for the iPhone 17 Air, rather than the more expensive iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models, has raised several questions. Apple’s historical marketing of titanium as a premium feature and design differentiator may have contributed to this surprise move. The use of aluminum in the lower-cost iPhone 17 Air model is also puzzling, especially given that aluminum is lighter than titanium.
The reasons behind this decision are unclear, but analyst Jeff Pu’s recent research note confirms that titanium will be used in the iPhone 17 Air. Some speculate that Apple may have switched to stainless steel for the Pro models and opted for titanium on the Air to reduce weight, although this seems less likely given that aluminum is even lighter than titanium.
The surprise move has sparked debate among fans and analysts, who are eager to understand why Apple chose to reserve titanium for the iPhone 17 Air.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/15/iphone-17-titanium-is-coming-to-just-one-model-and-its-a-surprising-choice