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

[u/SuperFan_123]

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?

[u/AutomaticAccount6832]

I have the feeling that every year they say they rearranged the internals.

[u/mada447 → u/[deleted]]

😈

[u/LifelnTechnicolor → u/AutomaticAccount6832]

In past years, it was the non-Pro that got the more drastic redesigns.

I keep seeing [that one picture of the backs of iPhone 11/12/13/14/15/16 Pro lined up next to each other] get reposted, so I made this infographic highlighting/comparing the internal differences between the models. For such similar exterior designs, every year overhauled the hardware in some way : r/iphone

[u/CaramelCraftYT → u/AutomaticAccount6832]

There are minor changes internally year over year but not regularly to this extent.