Other Anyone else want aluminium sides on the iPhone 13 Pro/Max?

[killhippie]

I like surgical stainless as i don't come up in a rash, also I cant imagine my Tag series 2000 being made out of aluminium and being twenty years old without a scratch somehow. The band around the phone, stainless is heavier yes but come on how much heavier is that band over aluminium. Is it like "Help me kind folk I cant pick my 12 pro up its so heavy." Let alone the fear of "please don't look at the smudge on my precious phone as you take its great weight in your hands, I know I must hide this smudge ridden beast from the world forever" Its a phone not a piece of priceless jewellery. These forums sometimes really are scraping the barrel of first world problems.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If a person keeps their iPhone in a case, the frame material will make no difference whatsoever. Whether it’s aluminium or stainless steel, you know you are getting a quality product and only you have to be happy with your purchase, nobody else. Nobody is going to judge you because of what your mobile phone is made out of, let’s be serious lol.

 

[rillrill]

Would love the rumored iPhone 14 Max (non pro with aluminum). Cut down on the weight. Increase the battery life.

 

[RedRage]

I'm amazed that Pro phone users don't want the weight to get reduced.

I was playing with a friends 12 Pro Max the other day and - my god - it was literally like a patio paver

I would never even dream of carrying that brick around all the time.
No clue how you guys do it

Apple told them not to complain about the weight so they pretend on MR that the weight doesn't bother them. lol

 

[RedRage]

I honestly don't care if it has stainless steel or aluminum. I care more about the camera and internals.

I'm gonna slap a case on it anyway. I have a 12 Pro and I can count on 1 hand the amount of times I have taken it out of the case and felt the stainless steel sides.

To the poster that said she wouldn't buy a Pro Max if it weren't stainless steel? Girl bye, you would be the first one in line for that Pro Max so you can flex to everyone else that you have the Pro Max lol You have it in a case anyway.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

I honestly don't care if it has stainless steel or aluminum. I care more about the camera and internals.

I'm gonna slap a case on it anyway. I have a 12 Pro and I can count on 1 hand the amount of times I have taken it out of the case and felt the stainless steel sides.

To the poster that said she wouldn't buy a Pro Max if it weren't stainless steel? Girl bye, you would be the first one in line for that Pro Max so you can flex to everyone else that you have the Pro Max lol You have it in a case anyway.

I’m the poster that said I wouldn’t buy another Pro Max if it didn’t come in stainless steel and I won’t. You don’t know squat about me and if you did you would know I don’t care about the camera or the internals. I buy my iPhone based on the look and color. I don’t have to flex to anyone that I have the Pro Max or the latest phone. I don’t care if anyone notice if I have the latest iPhone or not.

 

[RedRage]

I’m the poster that said I wouldn’t buy another Pro Max if it didn’t come in stainless steel and I won’t. You don’t know squat about me and if you did you would know I don’t care about the camera or the internals. I buy my iPhone based on the look and color. I don’t have to flex to anyone that I have the Pro Max or the latest phone. I don’t care if anyone notice if I have the latest iPhone or not.

Youve said in the past you want a phone bigger than 6.7 inches of the Pro Max. So if they make a 7.5 inch aluminum pro phone you won’t buy it?

 

[StaceyMJ86]

Youve said in the past you want a phone bigger than 6.7 inches of the Pro Max. So if they make a 7.5 inch aluminum pro phone you won’t buy it?

Nope because I like stainless steel. With the track record that Apple have now, I highly doubt they would launch a Pro phone with aluminum, since they differentiate the Pro model from the others. I never said I wanted a 7.5 inch phone.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

This topic is obviously less important if the user puts their iPhone in a case like most people do.

 

[ericwn]

Apple told them not to complain about the weight so they pretend on MR that the weight doesn't bother them. lol

Because apple’s all super excited on what’s happening on the MR forums.

 

[ericwn]

I’m the poster that said I wouldn’t buy another Pro Max if it didn’t come in stainless steel and I won’t. You don’t know squat about me and if you did you would know I don’t care about the camera or the internals. I buy my iPhone based on the look and color. I don’t have to flex to anyone that I have the Pro Max or the latest phone. I don’t care if anyone notice if I have the latest iPhone or not.

I wish the iPad Pros had stainless steel too.

 

[scraigstrong2022]

I researched this extensively when I was an Android user... I had other family members that used iPhone and switched to Android and what started happening is the phones started to break. They weren't big fans of thick bulky cases and would often go with no case or thin silicone cases that offer little protection.

So I did what I always do - keep this old stuff around and when I'm sure there's no value in it I Jerry Rig it... OK sort of. When you rip apart a Samsung phone you will find it's always aluminum with some steel components. if you remove the aluminum it is quite durable.

iPhone - going back to about 4 is usually so solid that it's really hard to tear them down. Yes there is a steel frame instead of aluminum but even the internal components are solid steel. With these new phones there is so much glass that you cannot have aluminum in them other than for heat conducting.

I've worked in a machine shop in the past working with both aluminum and steel and the difference is huge, aluminum is very easy to cut but heats up quickly. Steel is much harder and is much easier to work with. I finally switched to Apple because I could get steel, and guess what, almost 2-years later and my phone doesn't have any damage. I normally have it in a case but have dropped it and have no scratches, which is impressive because there is paint on top of the steel sides.

I would say the worst thing about getting a 13 or 13 Mini is the device will get hot quickly compared to Pro and Pro Max. Same thing with these ultra-expensive Android phones, there is more risk of glass damage as well. Aluminum and glass will break and bend easily so the impact can cause cracks and breaks. The steel frame and sides prevents that damage, so having a case is not as critical.

Also surgical steel is a combination of 2 stainless steels that are the most corrosion resistant so yes, if you wanted a Phone to last 10 years, or be exposed to extreme wet conditions, that steel could definitely prove to be durable. If Apple offered a Pro Max with Aluminum and one with Steel at a higher price I would definitely go for the steel phone.

That's the reason I'm here actually, Apple products are very good quality, the best, I'm posting this on a 9-year old MacBook... I've never had a laptop last more than 3-Years. Definitely worth the $$

 

[ghanwani]

I researched this extensively when I was an Android user... I had other family members that used iPhone and switched to Android and what started happening is the phones started to break. They weren't big fans of thick bulky cases and would often go with no case or thin silicone cases that offer little protection.

So I did what I always do - keep this old stuff around and when I'm sure there's no value in it I Jerry Rig it... OK sort of. When you rip apart a Samsung phone you will find it's always aluminum with some steel components. if you remove the aluminum it is quite durable.

iPhone - going back to about 4 is usually so solid that it's really hard to tear them down. Yes there is a steel frame instead of aluminum but even the internal components are solid steel. With these new phones there is so much glass that you cannot have aluminum in them other than for heat conducting.

I've worked in a machine shop in the past working with both aluminum and steel and the difference is huge, aluminum is very easy to cut but heats up quickly. Steel is much harder and is much easier to work with. I finally switched to Apple because I could get steel, and guess what, almost 2-years later and my phone doesn't have any damage. I normally have it in a case but have dropped it and have no scratches, which is impressive because there is paint on top of the steel sides.

I would say the worst thing about getting a 13 or 13 Mini is the device will get hot quickly compared to Pro and Pro Max. Same thing with these ultra-expensive Android phones, there is more risk of glass damage as well. Aluminum and glass will break and bend easily so the impact can cause cracks and breaks. The steel frame and sides prevents that damage, so having a case is not as critical.

Also surgical steel is a combination of 2 stainless steels that are the most corrosion resistant so yes, if you wanted a Phone to last 10 years, or be exposed to extreme wet conditions, that steel could definitely prove to be durable. If Apple offered a Pro Max with Aluminum and one with Steel at a higher price I would definitely go for the steel phone.

That's the reason I'm here actually, Apple products are very good quality, the best, I'm posting this on a 9-year old MacBook... I've never had a laptop last more than 3-Years. Definitely worth the $$

I think quality and quality control have dropped in recent years but only time will tell.

 

[scraigstrong2022]

Firstly, aluminium is actually three times more expensive than steel, so it's ironic stainless steel is reserved for the premium models. Aluminium is also lighter, which as iPhones grow bigger and thicker would keep the weight down.

Perhaps Apple feel the shiny stainless steel looks more premium, but I've always been more impressed with the anodized aluminium sides on iPhones. The stainless steel wasn't too bad on the rounded corners on the X/XS/11 Pro but on the new flat edges it turns into a disaster within seconds of handling your phone. It completely subverts the premium image that Apple is aiming for.

I've seen a lot consumers wishing for matte sides on the Pro & Pro Max models. Even matte steel would be better but I'd still take aluminium out of the two.

Is there any chance that Apple will use aluminium sides on the iPhone 13 Pro & Pro Max models or we stuck with steel?

That's interesting because... "Surgical stainless steel is a grade of stainless steel used in biomedical applications. The most common "surgical steels" are austenitic SAE 316 stainless and martensitic SAE 440, SAE 420, and 17-4 stainless steels.[1] There is no formal definition on what constitutes a "surgical stainless steel", so product manufacturers and distributors often apply the term to refer to any grade of corrosion resistant steel." - Wikipedia

Surgical stainless steel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I've worked with both aluminum and steel in the industrial sector and there is a huge difference in the quality of materials. But when it comes to phone durability try dropping a 13 or Mini from about 20 feet (or any Android Phone) and see how well that Aluminum protects the glass. It won't be able to withstand the impact.

Surgical steel is a combination of the 2 best stainless steels for corrosion resistance, that's the main reason, but if you want a quality product and a durable one you don't want aluminum. It bends very easily causing the glass to take more impact so companies like Samsung have to make up for that with a more durable glass.

Either way if you want a durable phone you are going to have to pay more for quality materials so that's a big thing. You could always get a bulky case for extra protection or screen protectors etc. I think despite the fact that raw materials are more expensive for aluminum, steel is always a better choice for durability. Steel is very easy to find and even though it's in high demand too aluminum has more of a supply / demand problem.

The reality is aluminum bends and melts very easily compared to steel, it has great uses for us but surgical steel with tempered glass is a great idea for a phone. A plastic or metal back might be a better idea TBH but I would definitely pay more for solid steel construction.

 

[B_mark_R]

I researched this extensively when I was an Android user... I had other family members that used iPhone and switched to Android and what started happening is the phones started to break. They weren't big fans of thick bulky cases and would often go with no case or thin silicone cases that offer little protection.

So I did what I always do - keep this old stuff around and when I'm sure there's no value in it I Jerry Rig it... OK sort of. When you rip apart a Samsung phone you will find it's always aluminum with some steel components. if you remove the aluminum it is quite durable.

iPhone - going back to about 4 is usually so solid that it's really hard to tear them down. Yes there is a steel frame instead of aluminum but even the internal components are solid steel. With these new phones there is so much glass that you cannot have aluminum in them other than for heat conducting.

I've worked in a machine shop in the past working with both aluminum and steel and the difference is huge, aluminum is very easy to cut but heats up quickly. Steel is much harder and is much easier to work with. I finally switched to Apple because I could get steel, and guess what, almost 2-years later and my phone doesn't have any damage. I normally have it in a case but have dropped it and have no scratches, which is impressive because there is paint on top of the steel sides.

I would say the worst thing about getting a 13 or 13 Mini is the device will get hot quickly compared to Pro and Pro Max. Same thing with these ultra-expensive Android phones, there is more risk of glass damage as well. Aluminum and glass will break and bend easily so the impact can cause cracks and breaks. The steel frame and sides prevents that damage, so having a case is not as critical.

Also surgical steel is a combination of 2 stainless steels that are the most corrosion resistant so yes, if you wanted a Phone to last 10 years, or be exposed to extreme wet conditions, that steel could definitely prove to be durable. If Apple offered a Pro Max with Aluminum and one with Steel at a higher price I would definitely go for the steel phone.

That's the reason I'm here actually, Apple products are very good quality, the best, I'm posting this on a 9-year old MacBook... I've never had a laptop last more than 3-Years. Definitely worth the $$

I have had some great phones over the years and sometimes I would wish that my phone was lighter, or small, or bigger but I've never thought that my phone would be better if it was made of steel instead of aluminum. Now titanium might be a different story because it would maintain its light weight and have increased strength.

 

[minimo3]

Seeing as I use a case, I don’t care what material is used. I’d be perfectly fine with polycarbonate, actually that might be nice for the weight savings and the signal strength. Yeah, bring on the iPhone 13c!

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Yep, I prefer the matte aluminum finish so I modified my phone accordingly.

 

[Taz Mangus]

I remember seeing a rumor about the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max may use titanium in place of stainless steel.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

That's interesting because... "Surgical stainless steel is a grade of stainless steel used in biomedical applications. The most common "surgical steels" are austenitic SAE 316 stainless and martensitic SAE 440, SAE 420, and 17-4 stainless steels.[1] There is no formal definition on what constitutes a "surgical stainless steel", so product manufacturers and distributors often apply the term to refer to any grade of corrosion resistant steel." - Wikipedia

Surgical stainless steel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I've worked with both aluminum and steel in the industrial sector and there is a huge difference in the quality of materials. But when it comes to phone durability try dropping a 13 or Mini from about 20 feet (or any Android Phone) and see how well that Aluminum protects the glass. It won't be able to withstand the impact.

Surgical steel is a combination of the 2 best stainless steels for corrosion resistance, that's the main reason, but if you want a quality product and a durable one you don't want aluminum. It bends very easily causing the glass to take more impact so companies like Samsung have to make up for that with a more durable glass.

Either way if you want a durable phone you are going to have to pay more for quality materials so that's a big thing. You could always get a bulky case for extra protection or screen protectors etc. I think despite the fact that raw materials are more expensive for aluminum, steel is always a better choice for durability. Steel is very easy to find and even though it's in high demand too aluminum has more of a supply / demand problem.

The reality is aluminum bends and melts very easily compared to steel, it has great uses for us but surgical steel with tempered glass is a great idea for a phone. A plastic or metal back might be a better idea TBH but I would definitely pay more for solid steel construction.

Aluminium is a good choice of material for a phone too unless you are putting your body weight on it or placing it close to a furnace. Once the iPhone is in a case, the material the framework is made from becomes a rather redundant element and the only difference you notice is weight. Every single iPhone I have owned over the past 10 years has had an aluminium frame and I can’t think of one instance where it has let me down or lost out to harder steels in general everyday use. Apple is very good at convincing people of shortfalls that often don’t exist.

 

[janeauburn]

I vote for whatever material makes these phones lighter. The current phones are absurdly heavy.

 

[ShaunFrancis]

Should be titanium

 

[Taz Mangus]

Light weight Carbon Fiber. Now that would be cool.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Light weight Carbon Fiber. Now that would be cool.

That would be great when the phone is under immense strain when being bent. Not so great if you drop it though lol.

 

[jamesnajera]

I thought Apple switched to SS on the bigger ones to prevent them from bending.

 

[PaladinGuy]

I think titanium would be perfect, but I’m afraid to even think about the price increase Apple would put on them.