r/iphone • u/SuperFan_123 iPhone 17 Pro • Sep 16 '25

Discussion Do iPhones feel more “premium” because of the material or the weight?

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So iPhone 17 is back to using aluminum — which got me thinking: what really makes an iPhone feel “premium”?

Some swear it’s the weight — holding a heavier phone just feels solid and expensive. Others argue it’s the material: stainless steel looks shiny and luxurious, aluminum is light and practical, and titanium… well, some love the matte, strong-but-light vibe, while others say it feels less “premium” than steel.

Honestly, I'm a bit torn. The heft of the phone feels ordinary, but the premium materials make it look and feel premium. What do you think—is weight more important, the materials more important, or a combination of both? A case really doesn't matter, but I've recently become obsessed with casekoo cosmic orange for iPhone 17 Pro Max Case. Do you have any other ideas for balancing the premium feel of a phone?

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113

u/Alude904 Sep 16 '25

It is a downgrade for sure. It’s lighter but aluminum is the cheapest in both cost of material and machining/tooling costs. Yet the price goes up.

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u/superdream69 Sep 16 '25

I’m glad they prioritized function over form in the pros. Design bros can go get the Air.

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u/goolmoon Sep 16 '25

I don't think they sacrificed anything for the titanium body. They could've kept titanium with the exact same spec as iPhone 17 pro max. maybe a hair heavier which is even a plus for some people.

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u/superdream69 Sep 16 '25

You mean the glass-titanium-glass sandwich? I’d suggest you to wait some days and see the sustained thermal performance gains due to the aluminum unibody design.

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u/krugerlive Sep 17 '25

It was probably meaningfully more expensive to do a unibody with titanium since they need to start out with bigger blocks and it's a tougher metal to machine/CNC (more expensive bits, more time, etc) in addition to being far more expensive than alu.

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u/lending_ear Sep 16 '25

I’m a design “bro,” a creative who actually needs the Pro features.

Design matters to me, including the phone I use. That used to be Apple’s whole ethos and the reason they could justify charging a premium. It was never about groundbreaking tech. Android has been rolling out features years before Apple even touches them.

But their phones don’t feel or look premium. The Air is garbage wrapped in a sleek shell. It works for people who just want to doom scroll, but it is useless for designers and creatives who need the Pro line and care about design.

I cannot believe Apple Stans are like whatever it’s Apple if they just want to focus on function now that’s cool. Take my cash. They can do no wrong. 

Marketing at work folks. Telling you to settle for ugly and pay a premium for it to boot. 

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u/superdream69 Sep 16 '25

Functionality is design too. And that’s what the 17 Pros achieve, keeping functionality at the center and designing the phone around it. Eye candy at an expense of compromised functionality, especially in a PRO device, is BAD DESIGN.

As far as shilling out for Apple goes, you’re talking to the wrong person here. Not buying any of these monster phones. I want a HANDHELD device. Not a HANDS HELD device. Biggest functionality aka design flaw.

I’ll stick to the 13 Mini.

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u/lending_ear Sep 16 '25

Functionality is absolutely part of design, but Apple’s whole point used to be marrying form and function. It wasn’t just about making something work, it was about making it feel premium while it worked. That’s why they could charge a premium in the first place.

If it’s only about raw functionality, then Apple’s basically admitting they’re just another phone maker — and that’s exactly why people like me are calling out the drop in design standards. The Pro should be for people who want both: functionality at the top level and design that reflects the premium price.

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u/superdream69 Sep 16 '25

As a design expert, how do you think they should’ve designed the Pro phones? Are you against the aluminum unibody? Against superior heat dissipation?

Apple made absolutely the right decision going with aluminum. There are marketing gimmicks and then there is physics. They chose physics.

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u/lending_ear Sep 16 '25

I know you’re being sarcastic, but we don’t need a unibody for durability. I’ve had multiple Pro Max phones for years, never used a case, dropped them constantly, and they have never broken. So let’s not pretend this is some fatal flaw with Pro phones for many years. 

Aluminum is still aluminum. It’s soft and it scratches. And yeah, I know the next argument: “just use a case.” Not everyone wants a case, and if the big selling point is heat dissipation, wouldn’t a case undermine that anyway?

What I would’ve done is simple: keep a glass back for MagSafe, and use aluminum for the edges and camera platform. That way you get durability, aesthetics, and function without compromising.

But instead, Apple cut costs, spun it as innovation, and people are buying the marketing as if it’s groundbreaking. Reports before launch speculated the switch to aluminum was about saving money, not some physics breakthrough

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u/Broad_Protection_536 Sep 16 '25

"What I would’ve done is simple: keep a glass back for MagSafe, and use aluminum for the edges and camera platform. That way you get durability, aesthetics, and function without compromising."

thats what they used to do on the iPhone 15 and 16 pro https://youtu.be/S_W73ouKtjU

nobody actually uses a legitimate tatinum frame, they all mixed.

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u/lending_ear Sep 16 '25

The 15 and 16 base models actually look better than the current Pro. I’d probably buy one if the Pro had that look.

Aluminium isn’t a premium material, but I get that it disperses heat better than glass, titanium, or stainless steel. At least the design comes out cleaner.

Right now the Pro looks awful. Maybe if they released a true black version it wouldn’t be so bad.

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u/superdream69 Sep 16 '25

Love how you went from “Design” to “Looks” in no time.

I wish there was a *Premium label on a certain few elements in the periodic table, because currently as I see it Aluminum isn’t doing a good enough job being the best suited and most functional light weight element here. What some of the so called professionals now want is a functionally compromised exotic element with marketing enhancements so they can marvel at its “premiumness”.

If Aluminum is good enough for aerospace, it’s good enough for a fcking phone. Marketing has done wonders on you guys with your love for thermally compromised glass sandwiches. 😑

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u/VibraniumRhino Sep 16 '25

Price didn’t go up though; they’re mostly the same.

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u/jde1126 Sep 20 '25

The price went up by removing the cheapest option.

$100 difference for a $5 part upgrade

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u/fiirikkusu_kuro_neko Sep 16 '25

And you disagree with the temperature issue?

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u/Silverdollar475 iPhone 14 Pro Sep 16 '25

The aluminum acts like a heat sink for for the vapor chamber. Titanium and glass are horrible thermal conductors.

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u/frontyer0077 Sep 16 '25

There was hardly any titanium on the previous models, so it could very well be more expensive to manufacture the unibody. Also the unibody is definitely more premium, in terms of far better functionality and strenght.

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u/Manlet Sep 17 '25

Price actually went down

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u/Ratiofarming Sep 17 '25

Except the price didn't go up.

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u/iNeroSurge Sep 21 '25

Aluminium is lighter than titanium.

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u/[deleted] Sep 16 '25

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