iPhone 16 Pro to get a polished, scratch-resistant titanium finish

Apple is believed to be sticking with titanium for the forthcoming iPhone 16 Pro, but a new leak claims that an improved manufacturing process will give it a more polished look.

Following reports that the iPhone 16 Pro lineup will see a change in colors, a new leak reports that the finish on each of the colors will look different. According to leaker "yeux1122," Apple is introducing a new production method for its titanium chassis.

"Unlike the 15 Pro models, the iPhone 16 Pro models are said to have a method with improved titanium processing and color processing," writes the leaker on a blog. "Therefore, there is a possibility that it will be changed to a more polished material, if not an external scratch [resistant one]."

There is no further detail, and of course no further source listed. Apple could, then, have made improvements that have nothing to do with the titanium's finish, such as production line changes for speed or efficiency.

However, if it's correct that the change will be a visible one, the claim is that the current iPhone 15 Pro's brushed titanium look will be replaced by a smoother, even glossy one. It's possible that it will resemble the more polished stainless steel that Apple has used previously.

Stainless steel is more prone to scratching, though, whereas a polished titanium chassis should be more scratch-resistant than even the iPhone 15 Pro.

Leaker "yeux1122" has a hit or miss track record with hardware reports.

6 Comments

retrogusto 1140 comments · 16 Years

About 8 months ago

I’d be interested to see why you say the titanium would be more scratch resistant than stainless steel, which is usually harder and in my experience less prone to scratching. I did a little googling just now, and everything I found supported my understanding.

charlesn 1193 comments · 11 Years

About 8 months ago

retrogusto said:

I’d be interested to see why you say the titanium would be more scratch resistant than stainless steel, which is usually harder and in my experience less prone to scratching. I did a little googling just now, and everything I found supported my understanding.

This from a high-end watch site, which did a deep dive on titanium vs stainless steel for watches:

"Titanium is also hard, with a Vicker’s rating of roughly 350 HV compared to the typical 150-200 HV of stainless steel. This might seem counter-intuitive since, in practical daily use, titanium seems to scratch more easily than stainless steel. However, this is because titanium naturally forms an oxide layer on the surface, which can scratch relatively easily. The upside is that a quick touch up with a fiberglass pen makes surface scratches disappear."

hmlongco 586 comments · 9 Years

About 8 months ago

PLEASE APPLE DO NOT DO THIS!!!!

One of the favorite features of my 15 Pro Max is the BRUSHED case which doesn't fingerprint as easily as did the polished stainless steel of my 14 Pro.

Glossy finishes on handheld devices are just stupid.

M68000 887 comments · 7 Years

About 8 months ago

zeus423 said:

It's very important to have a polished look...inside a case.

Yeah, but you might want to consider the Steve Jobs “carpenter” quote. Look up his quote on google\bing if you are not familiar.

i think what he said even applies here - even in a case.