A recent report indicated that Apple could change the materials for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max frames.
There has been a fair amount of rumors regarding the iPhone 17 series in the last few weeks, including leaked specs and a general idea of what the phone will include. However, a recent leak has indicated a new design change for the Pro models of the phone, including a Pixel 9 Pro-like change. In a recent article, The Information stated that Apple will construct new phone frames from aluminum.
This change would be the first time in a while that the Pro models use the same materials as the base iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017, which used a stainless steel frame. That frame was then dropped for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in favor of titanium.
There are some advantages to using aluminum for the frame, though, primarily that it is much lighter than the other options and more eco-friendly.
The report also states that Apple plans to drop the rear glass camera housing, instead opting for a larger rectangle constructed out of aluminum. If that sounda familiar, it's because its a similar design to the Pixel 9 Pro.
As such, it is reported that the back panel will be split, with half being made of metal and half glass. If accurate this would likely be for wireless charging, which isn't possible through fully metal back panels.
As stated, we have heard a lot of different rumors and leaks regarding the iPhone 17. For instance, a recent tip indicated that the iPhone 17 Pro models could feature upgraded telephoto and selfie cameras. Not only that, it appears the devices will feature an upgraded 3nm chipset that promises to offer a big performance boost over the prior models.
Apple using the same aluminum frame across models is an interesting idea, but we won't know for certain until the official reveal. If Apple follows its trends we'd expect the iPhone 17 series to be revealed around September 2025.
