iPhone 17 Air Alone to Get Titanium Frame And Not Pro Models, A New A19 Chip Is On Its Way

Highlights

• iPhone 17 Air will be the only model with a titanium-aluminium alloy frame, while Pro models reportedly revert to lighter aluminium instead of titanium.
• A19 chip debut confirmed for the iPhone 17 lineup.
• iPhone 17 Air, Pro, and Pro Max are getting 12GB RAM while the regular model retains 8GB.

Apple introduced a titanium build for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max about two years ago. The material continued to set the Pro lineup apart with the iPhone 16 series. But this year, things are changing in a surprising way. According to reports, only one iPhone 17 model will come with a titanium build and it’s not a Pro. Here’s everything we know so far.

iPhone 17 Air Will Be the Only Model with Titanium

Caption – iPhone 17 Air in a recent hands-on video. (Credit – Majin Bu on X)

Previous early leaks about the iPhone 17 lineup hinted at some major shifts in materials. According to The Information, Apple is planning to drop titanium from the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. Instead, these high-end phones will reportedly go back to aluminium frames, just a couple of years after the titanium debut.

But analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says titanium isn’t gone for good. He claims the upcoming iPhone 17 Air will be the only model to feature titanium. Specifically, Kuo notes it will use a “titanium-aluminium alloy metal frame, with a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames.”

So, it’s a hybrid frame, but still the only one in the lineup using any titanium at all.

Caption – iPhone 17 series previously leaked image of dummy units.

Industry analyst Jeff Pu also confirmed this in his latest research, backing up the claim that titanium is coming to the iPhone 17 Air.

What’s surprising is that Apple has always pushed titanium as a ‘Pro’ feature, something exclusive and premium. Yet now, it’s appearing in the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to be a more affordable and lightweight model.

If Apple were going back to stainless steel for the Pro models, titanium on the Air could be explained as a way to save weight. But since the Pro models are supposedly switching to aluminium, which is a material that’s even lighter than titanium, this decision doesn’t quite add up.

iPhone 17 to Run on New A19 Chip

Meanwhile, we also have an update on the possible chip iPhone 17 will be working with. Earlier rumours suggested the iPhone 17 would use the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16. But analyst Jeff Pu now expects Apple to introduce a brand-new A19 chip, which will also power the iPhone 17 Air.

However, not everything is changing. If you were hoping for more RAM on the standard iPhone 17, that’s likely not happening. Pu says it will stick with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to get a boost with 12GB of faster LPDDR5X RAM. The 17 Air will also have 12GB of RAM but with the standard LPDDR5 speeds.

The entire iPhone 17 lineup is rumoured to include Apple’s own Wi-Fi 7 chip. The regular iPhone 17 might also get a larger 6.3-inch OLED screen and finally, a 120Hz refresh rate. However, unlike the Pro models, it won’t use LTPO (ProMotion) tech.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on September 8, if the latest leaks are accurate.

FAQs

Q1. Which iPhone 17 model will feature a titanium frame?

Answer. Only the iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a titanium-aluminium alloy metal frame, while the Pro and Pro Max models will reportedly switch to aluminium.

Q2. What chipset will power the iPhone 17 series?

Answer. Analyst Jeff Pu expects Apple to introduce a new A19 chip for the iPhone 17 lineup, replacing earlier predictions of the A18 being reused from the iPhone 16.

Q3. What RAM configuration will the iPhone 17 models offer?

Answer. The standard iPhone 17 will retain 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, while the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and Air will have 12GB of RAM, Air with LPDDR5 and Pro models with LPDDR5X.

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