Apple returned to aluminum for the entire iPhone 17 lineup, except for the new iPhone Air, which retained a titanium frame. Next year's much-rumored iPhone Fold could take a page from both books.
Analyst Jeff Pu claimed in an investor note (seen by MacRumors) that the foldable iPhone will feature a frame built from a combination of titanium and aluminum. Allegedly, he says that Apple will use titanium in both the iPhone Fold and next year's iPhone Air.
Durability
This isn't the first time we've heard about mixed materials in the foldable Apple device. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPhone fold will look like "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side."
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year that the phone would have multiple metals, including a "liquid metal" hinge. Though Kuo said it would be titanium and stainless steel, not aluminum.
The iPhone Fold could be 4.5mm thin when opened, according to rumors, skinnier than the just-released iPhone Air. The titanium frame on the Air has proven to be a good decision.
The stronger metal has proven durable against multiple bend tests and is mostly resistant to "scratchgate."
Why the combination?
According to MacRumors, it's not clear how this combination will be implemented. Pu doesn't appear to clarify in his reports.
"Additionally, the metal frame will turn favorable on increasing usage of titanium, which will likely be adopted by iPhone 18 Fold (titanium + aluminum) and iPhone 18 Air," Pu is said to have written.
It's possible that Apple may use titanium for the stress-bearing areas of the frame, like the hinge. Aluminum, being lighter, would be used elsewhere to reduce the weight.
Supposedly, Apple switched to aluminum on the iPhone 17 Pro models for improved thermal performance, which is obvious in combination with the new vapor cooling chamber.
For now, it's rumored the iPhone Fold will feature a 5.5-inch cover display with a 7.7-inch interior screen. Its aspect ratio could be like that of an iPad.
Additionally, next year's iOS 27 is reportedly being built to optimize for the iPhone Fold's larger display, though time will tell how Apple executes that.
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