iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly take a big step backwards on this major design feature

In our review of the iPhone 16 Pro, we admired its titanium finish. The premium metal isn't just good looking, but super strong – and it's one of the ways in which Apple differentiates its most expensive iPhones from the aluminium iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

That's why we're surprised to hear that Apple could drop the titanium in favour of aluminium for the iPhone 17 Pro models.

That's according to reliable news site The Information (paywall), which reports that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be getting "significant design changes". And perhaps the most significant is a move to aluminium instead of titanium.

It's not a complete step backwards – previous Pro models were stainless steel, not aluminium – but it's still a big change. And it's part of what appears to be a big rethink of the iPhone Pro and Pro Max's design.

What's changing in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max?

According to the site, the chassis will be aluminium and the rear will get a new design combining aluminium for strength and glass for wireless charging.

The camera bump will be rectangular and made of aluminium, and it will reportedly be larger than the one in the current models. How large we don't yet know, but given the large size of the current camera bump it's clearly going to take up a lot of space.

More use of aluminium rather than glass could be to bring the weight of the iPhone down, as glass is a heavier material. And the use of aluminium rather than titanium could be for multiple factors.

Cost is a big one, of course: aluminium is cheaper. But titanium is harder to colour, and it can also be more difficult to machine because it's more dense. That density means it's heavier too.

I think if Apple were planning to go back to stainless steel for the Pro and Pro Max it might be an issue for some: steel is relatively heavy. But, I suspect that for most of us, the difference between titanium and aluminium isn't a deal-breaker: both are lightweight enough. Titanium is undoubtedly tougher, but the weak point of any iPhone isn't the frame; it's the glass on the front.