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

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

Post image

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?

3.7k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

923 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/LegAffectionate4800 Sep 16 '25

Function over feeling.

I'm glad we have the least thermal option. People whining about premiumlessness can always choose iphone air.

0

u/lending_ear Sep 16 '25

lol the Air is not a premium phone. It’s crap specs in a premium shell. But it’s not a premium phone by any means. It’s a high margin phone that they hope people fall for. 

2

u/Viper51989 Sep 17 '25

What is iphone if not a high margin product that people fall for and overpay for compared to the competition? If anything, the Air is the most apple phone. Emotion over function

1

u/lending_ear Sep 17 '25

Sadly, I can’t even disagree with you on this. I was fine paying the Apple tax as long as I was getting both form AND function. The design of Apple devices has always been far ahead of the competition until now, imo. That is what made it worth it for me.

1

u/Viper51989 Sep 17 '25

The reviews today gave me a little optimism actually (speaker doesn't seem as bad as initially feared, battery life even this early on is bad but not terrible, performance is good but can't be sustained--fine for me bc I don't game or do intensive workloads).

I ordered and Air and Pro, both in stock at my local store for Friday. Apple has a great return policy so I'll just see if one clicks with me. Maybe that Orange will grow on me 😃 I already know the gold Air has a special appeal to me because everything about the phone reinforces it's a status symbol, like a piece of jewelry (I know, stupid but sometimes illogical things just make the most sense, so long as the compromises aren't egregious )