As one of the most popular smart phone brands in the world, iPhone's annual launch event will attract the attention and heated discussions of users around the world. This year, Apple will release the new iPhone 15 series in September 2023, including four models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (Ultra).
According to the breaking news released by Unknownz21, the body of the iPhone 15 Pro will use a new material that has never been used in the iPhone series before--titanium alloy material. It is understood that the iPhone 15 Pro body will contain grade 5 titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and 6013-T6 aluminum alloy (Al 6013 T6).
Grade 5 titanium alloy is a widely used titanium alloy with high strength and excellent corrosion resistance, commonly found in aerospace and biomedical applications. The 6013-T6 aluminum alloy also has the characteristics of high strength and high toughness, and is more common in the fields of aviation, automobiles, ships and electronics.
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Source: Network
The choice of titanium alloy material for iPhone 15 Pro means that Apple is constantly striving to improve the texture and quality of its products. This material choice can make the iPhone 15 Pro more durable and provide better corrosion resistance, allowing users to use it for a long time.
Aluminum alloy is the most commonly used metal material for mobile phones today. The iPhone has used an aluminum alloy frame since the iPhone 5. To this day, the middle frame of the non-Pro iPhone 14 is made of aluminum alloy. The vast majority of Android phones on the market that use a metal middle frame are made of aluminum alloy.
Good texture, mature technology, high yield, and low cost are one of the most fundamental reasons why aluminum alloy materials are widely used. In addition, its weight is well controlled, thermal conductivity is good, corrosion resistance, and it is also suitable for various processing. The status symbol of mainstream flagship phones today.
In fact, there are many kinds of aluminum alloys, and the main categories are 1 series to 8 series (the 7 series has the best theoretical performance, and the 8 series is the others), which are classified according to the composition and performance; for example, the aluminum alloy used in iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 is Aluminum-magnesium alloy, which belongs to the 5 series of aluminum alloys - not enough hardness, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 appeared "curved door"; now from the iPhone 14, the "curved door" has basically bid farewell, except for the reinforcement of the interior and front and rear glass panels, the middle frame The so-called "aviation-grade aluminum alloy" is used. It is speculated that the harder 7-series aluminum alloy (aluminum-magnesium-zinc-copper alloy) is used, and the cost will be relatively higher. This is also the strongest type of mobile phone used today. Aluminum alloy type.
However, even if the strength of the 7-series aluminum alloy has been improved, some essential shortcomings still exist when it is used as the middle frame of a mobile phone, such as not being able to withstand scratches and falling, and there are bumps and bumps at ordinary times, which will easily reveal the true color of the metal. Usually still have to take it easy.
It is worth mentioning that Apple obtained a technical patent for improving the performance and appearance of aluminum alloy materials in July this year. The publicity of this technology patent shows that Apple has made improvements in aluminum alloy materials and may apply it in the future. iPhone, Mac and other products. Apple claims that the new aluminum alloy can significantly reduce the risk of surface chipping and stress corrosion cracking caused by anodizing, and can extend the service life of the aluminum alloy.
As the release time approaches, we can expect more revelations and information releases about the iPhone 15 Pro. But for now, looking at the entire mainstream smartphone market, there has not been a mobile phone with a titanium alloy middle frame so far.
However, titanium alloy materials are actually nothing new to Apple. First, Apple Watch has appeared in Apple Technology and Material Test Field—the Apple Watch Ultra, which starts at 6,299 yuan. It's titanium alloy.
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Titanium alloy materials have many advantages, but the disadvantages are also obvious: low yield rate (difficult processing, supporting technology is not mature enough), high cost - but this can also be solved. With the development of the upstream industry and the improvement of technology, the yield rate will also increase, such as the Apple Watch Ultra, and even the mass distribution of iPhones with titanium alloy frames, which will help form economies of scale and reduce costs—but titanium alloy materials In the short term, the possibility of replacing other materials and becoming the mainstream material for the middle frame of mobile phones is still very low. After all, no matter how low the cost of titanium alloy is, it cannot compete with the mature aluminum alloy material. It is estimated that it will only be active in some high-end phones in the future. in type.
