iPhone 16 Pro Models Could Feature New Polished Titanium Finish

[phenste]

I’ll keep my comment short and sweet and I think most people who’ve held a 15 Pro agree with me here:

Apple, please don’t f—k this up 😂

 

[jjudson]

I'm beginning to think that the emoji and color divisions at Apple are far larger and better funded than the new innovation R&D group...

 

[cocky jeremy]

wow, people will use cases... so who cares

Never. Cases are ugly and bulky.

 

[ninethirty]

Prefer the brushed look of the titanium over any previous iPhone model. I hope they don't go back to polished. Though I guess I could always brush it myself.

 

[Contact_Feanor]

Totally true. But it seems practically impossible to use iPhone without case to me. It's so slippery. It literally slides over almost every surface I lay it down.

As a caseless user I'm trying to imagine the surfaces you put it down. I never had my phone spontaneously sliding this way and that on any surface.

 

[Hobbes42]

As a caseless user I'm trying to imagine the surfaces you put it down. I never had my phone spontaneously sliding this way and that on any surface.

I also go caseless like 70% of the time, but one easy example is on my thigh when I’m sitting down. Without a case that sucker will eventually end up on the floor.

When I’m using my phone for guitar chords or I know I’m gonna be having a bit of a wild night, I slap that case on just for the extra grip.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

wow, people will use cases... so who cares

Actually, many folks will not add cases. Those well informed folks do care:
1) Modern iPhone Pros are so tough that most people do not really need cases.
2) See #1. There are lots of people including me who do not add bulky, weight-adding cases to their beautifully designed and engineered iPhones.
3) E.g. I have always treated iPhones as tools in rough work/play environments. When iPhones were less durable and I used cases the cases lasted typically 30-60 days. However with modern iPhones see #1.
4) No cases for several years now, and I can use all the features of the beautifully designed and engineered iPhone without kludging things up with some case. The edges of the iPhone will show a slight ding when dropped on rough granite or concrete, but not enough to cause me to even bother sanding it out.

YMMV obviously. Some people like the way $50 cases look on their $1,000 iPhones (go figure) and others need an external battery pack or card wallet attached.

Edit: Even with cases on the early iPhones I never used face protection and (other than cracking a very early iPhone in its case by sitting on it on a ski lift) have never needed iPhone face protection.

 

[3530025]

As a caseless user I'm trying to imagine the surfaces you put it down. I never had my phone spontaneously sliding this way and that on any surface.

I've described this in my previous reply.

[...] when I put it onto side of ceramic sink which was not perfectly in level it starting sliding to the side. And I'm not even kidding. The same issue was in my car - when I put it to the place without anti-slipping mat it basically flew off in the first turn. All this solved by simple transparent case. It's rather disgusting and I don't like the look of my iPhone in it, but it's practical.

[...]

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...olished-titanium-finish.2423072/post-33043889

I'm happy for all of you caseless users without "slippery surfaces" around you. If I had just non-slippery surfaces and/or stuff in perfect level, I would be in your team too!

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Personally I much prefer the brushed finish. But as a pedant I feel it's inelegant to weld a thin strip of titanium around an aluminium sub frame. It's just a literal veneer of 'premium' over something exactly the same internally.

I have a silly theory as to why they're returning to the polished finish though. Focus groups in China probably said they don't like it because it looks just like the 'cheap' aluminium iPhone. So Tim's reversing course because the tanking sales in that region.

If one is going to be pedantic one should study up on product engineering. There are excellent reasons to have a good-conducting malleable aluminum interior surrounded by a strong/light titanium alloy exoskeleton.

 

[Hobbes42]

If one is going to be pedantic one should study up on product engineering. There are excellent reasons to have a good-conducting malleable aluminum interior surrounded by a strong/light titanium alloy exoskeleton.

Why’s that? I’m very much enjoying the obvious benefits of the titanium and I like how it looks, but what are the scientific pluses?

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I've described this in my previous reply.


https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...olished-titanium-finish.2423072/post-33043889

I'm happy for all of you caseless users without "slippery surfaces" around you. If I had just non-slippery surfaces and/or stuff in perfect level, I would be in your team too!

Agreed if one constantly sits an iPhone on random surfaces some of those surfaces may be slippery (like a vehicle dash) and would need to be avoided. E.g. I sit a MagSafe disc under my instrument panel and the iPhone lives there charging when in the car. I would not dream of putting it or anything else loose on the dash, with or without a case.

Similarly I do not sit an iPhone on random surfaces for security reasons; every place that an iPhone may sit is well thought out or it just goes in a pocket, and personally I find caseless iPhones much more easy to pocket. YMMV

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Why’s that? I’m very much enjoying the obvious benefits of the titanium and I like how it looks, but what are the scientific pluses?

The interior aluminum is malleable aand good-conducting as noted. Meaning it is easy to machine and heat is readily distributed away from hot spots, but not necessarily physically strong. The strong/light titanium alloy exterior provides strength to resist bending and hard knocks while IMO being really attractive. Net result is a stronger/lighter product that still copes with the heat from heavy computer processing.

Apple could have chosen an aluminum alloy to make the exoskeleton but they chose a titanium alloy. Like on fighter plane exteriors various alloys of both metals are sometimes used. Choice of specific materials in product engineering is hella complex, but personally I consider the iPhone 15 Pros to be the best-constructed iPhones yet. Just my $0.02.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Polished is fine but after dealing with both for extended periods of time I definitely prefer the brushed finish

 

[szw-mapple fan]

The time and effort Apple spend on the silliest things is quite amazing. Yes I know it’s not the same peo0le that code or perform other meaningful tasks but it is still effort and investment in time and money that could be better spent making this stuff actually work as it should. Apple have changed so much since Tim took over. It’s so sad.

Yeah no. This is one area that the Jobs era Apple obsessed over just as much if not more. You should read up on bondi blue on the iMac G3 and how long it took to decide on the right shade of gray in Apple Store bathrooms, or if you go back further, how the obsession with the right beige and texture for the Apple II led them to create a new beige even though there was already 2,000 shades of existing beiges.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Such a bad news, personally I think that brushed is way more classy than polished.
But I understand that asian markets value more the polished appearance and it makes sense that Apple prioritize pleasing these buyers first. Hope it will be less shiny than stainless steel versions...

Personally most of my experience with brushed metal comes from cheaper products that uses plastic to mimic the brushed effect or manufactures slapping thin brushed stainless steel plates to cover up cheap hardware like kitchen appliances. I know that real brushed metal is supposed to feel premium but whenever I see textured metal I immediately associate it with cheapness for whatever reason.

 

[Hobbes42]

The interior aluminum is malleable aand good-conducting as noted. Meaning it is easy to machine and heat is readily distributed away from hot spots, but not necessarily physically strong. The strong/light titanium alloy exterior provides strength to resist bending and hard knocks while IMO being really attractive. Net result is a stronger/lighter product that still copes with the heat from heavy computer processing.

Apple could have chosen an aluminum alloy to make the exoskeleton but they chose a titanium alloy. Like on fighter plane exteriors various alloys of both metals are sometimes used. Choice of specific materials in product engineering is hella complex, but personally I consider the iPhone 15 Pros to be the best-constructed iPhones yet. Just my $0.02.

Thanks for the educational response. Makes sense.

 

[miamialley]

Hate the polished/shiny look. Prefer matte.

 

[JippaLippa]

I'm due for an upgrade this september.
Will for sure get an iPhone 16, however I don't know if the regular one or the pro...

As much as I'd love to get the pro, the 300$ I'd save (given how I'd need 256GB for Prores Recording) would be better invested in paying 1/4th of an iPad Pro.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

wow, people will use cases... so who cares

Agreed! I use a wallet case so to me, the color and finish are irrelevant.

 

[JippaLippa]

If you don’t drop your phone often, the screen replacement fee for AppleCare is about the same price as a good case. Caseless all day.

I might genuinely think of this...
I always do apple care, however I feel a normal case protects the back of the device too (important, as iPhones have a good resale value).
I think I'll still go with a case (pity, as I think iPhones look very good...every once in a while I take my mint white 13 from the case just to look at it.

 

[CPx]

That Apple Clear MagSafe case is an overpriced abomination that should have been discontinued a long time ago. It is really hard to put on/take off, it leaves the bottom bit exposed and displays dust and particles accumulated under it with remarkable clarity. ESR, Spigen and Co do a much better job for a fraction of the price, IMO. The only good Apple iPhone case remaining is the silicone one, yet that one is also overpriced, IMO.

Basically, if you are into clear cases (I am), you need to be ready to swap them every 6-10 months, as they will all yellow to some degree, so it makes no sense to overpay.

Do the third-party clear cases not display dust as much?

 

[richinaus]

Personally most of my experience with brushed metal comes from cheaper products that uses plastic to mimic the brushed effect or manufactures slapping thin brushed stainless steel plates to cover up cheap hardware like kitchen appliances. I know that real brushed metal is supposed to feel premium but whenever I see textured metal I immediately associate it with cheapness for whatever reason.

funny you say that as I think the opposite. All the gaudy 'shiny shiny' polished plastics to make things look more expensive, and that is what I think the polished iPhones looked like.

Brushed everyday of the week for me, for aesthetic and practical reasons.

 

[v0lume4]

Yikes, huge NO to the polished look. That was one of my favorite differentiating factors with the iPhone 15 Pro versus the previous stainless steel models. I think the shiny stainless steel looked and felt cheap. Way too reflective.

 

[RealE]

I prefer the beautiful colors (blue, green, purple) of the stainless steel over the titanium.

 

[ChedNasad]

Please no. The current finish looks great and I've always hated the polished ones. I would be cool with them mimicking the finish on the Watch Ultra however. I've had mine since launch and it looks exactly like the day I bought it and has held up tremendously.