iPhone 15 rumored titanium steel might not make it lighter — here's why

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
(Image credit: Future)

Have you held your iPhone 14 Pro and thought it might be too heavy? These premium tier models manage to be more than an ounce heavier than its base counterpart. Even the normal iPhone 14 could be weighty for some, and lighter phones are always a positive if they're not sacrificing key design elements to achieve that.

According to rumors, that's exactly what the iPhone 15 Pro will accomplish. We've known for some time that the iPhone 15 Pro models will be built with a titanium frame rather than stainless steel, which not only promised a lighter phone, but a sturdier one. 9to5Mac recently calculated how they believe this weight difference will reflect the new iPhone 15 series, resulting in nearly a 10% difference, but will the iPhone 15 Pro actually be lighter?

Will iPhone 15 Pro get lighter even with titanium?

Did you know that titanium is anywhere between 40% to 50% lighter than stainless steel, yet the former is stronger than the latter. The exact percentage varies depending on the source, with Dorsetware Limited claiming it's 45%, Thomasnet claiming it's 40%, and Time + Tide claiming it's 50%. Regardless of which is more accurate, many agree that the density contrast is within that range. 

You're probably wondering why anyone would ever use stainless steel due to the significance of this disparity, but titanium is simply more expensive. This makes it an ideal material for premium products like the iPhone 15 Pro. And since the weight difference in these materials is not minor, seeing part of its weight potentially halved is staggering—even though the actual shell of an iPhone only contributes a fraction to it.

iPhone 14 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro weighs 7.27 ounces, while the Pro Max weighs 8.47 ounces. Comparatively, the base iPhone 14 weighs 6.07 ounces. 9to5Mac predicts that the iPhone 15 Pro will come in at 6.74 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be 7.80 ounces.

As these are just rough calculations, we can't say that 9to5Mac is fully accurate on these predictions. But considering that the weight difference between stainless steel and titanium is enormous, many are expecting the iPhone 15 Pro to at least crawl beneath the 7 ounce mark, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely go beneath 8 ounces.

However, this is assuming that the various new features coming to iPhone 15 Pro models don't make it heavier in turn. With a rumored periscope camera, 8GB of RAM, and potential battery upgrade, it could just be that Apple is making this change to even out the weight rather than get the phone that much lighter. 

It has been leaked that the weight differences are already out there, with Tech_Reve on Twitter claiming it will indeed be lighter. But as this is just a rumor and could be untrue, we won't pay it much mind as of yet.

Even if the iPhone 15 Pro models do end up lighter, the iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to increase in size, so it might just balance out in the end anyway. This isn't to say the iPhone 15 Pro series won't be lighter for sure—it probably will, but it's worth keeping in mind that new tech is coming to these phones, and those additions might make it heavy.

Momo Tabari
Contributing Writer

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Momo finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Momo is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.