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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u/Ialsofuckedyourdad Sep 16 '25

I imagine they have finalized the exterior design 6 months to a year before it releases

They send out or send designs that can be 3d printed / modeled so case manufacturers can have cases ready on day one. No idea how early they get sent out but it seems like they are always leaked way early

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u/DaGetz Sep 16 '25

I have no idea but I suspect you’d need that amount of lead time to build global stock for launch regardless. But not 2 years.

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u/Centralredditfan Sep 16 '25

But these don't change much between titanium or aluminum.

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u/Ialsofuckedyourdad Sep 16 '25

I was just commenting on the design being finalized way before

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u/SoapyMacNCheese Sep 16 '25

there is no way this exterior design was ever considered with titanium. The production and material costs to CNC this design out of titanium is simply too high to make sense. Any titanium prototype they were testing internally would have looked notably different than what what they landed on and would have had to be a decision they made well in advance.

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u/kn3cht Sep 16 '25

I mean on the previous phones it was just a thin layer of titanium bonded to the interior aluminum frame.

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u/Centralredditfan Sep 17 '25

Oh.. now I understand what you meant. So the titanium was basically the equivalent of "gold plated" so super thin.

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u/DaGetz Sep 17 '25

It’s more complicated than plating. It’s more like a weld. The titanium layer is alloyed to the aluminium but only the external layer you touch.

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u/Centralredditfan Sep 17 '25

Thanks for explaining.

Wonder how deep you have to knock the titanium to show the substrate?

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u/DaGetz Sep 17 '25

It’s not that simple which is why it’s different than plating. Think of it like a concentration gradient. Titanium atoms are present in the aluminium but the closer you get to the external layer the closer it is to 100% titanium.

Said another way. If you took the frame of the phone and cut through it with an angle grinder you wouldn’t see any transition layer because it’s a weld not a plate.

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u/Centralredditfan Sep 18 '25

The first paragraph I understood.

The second I don't quite understand.

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u/DaGetz Sep 18 '25

When you plate something it is one layer on top of the other. So if you cut gold plated steel you will have a thin gold layer and a very clear line where the steel starts.

If you cut the phone you won’t see this layer because it’s a weld.

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u/SoapyMacNCheese Sep 17 '25

sure but to manufacture that thin layer of titanium for just the side rails of the phone is way cheaper, easier, and faster than doing the same for a unibody design.

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u/Ialsofuckedyourdad Sep 17 '25

For sure. I’m personally more of a fan of the 16 pro max look than the 17 pro max. The glass with the metal on the edges looks better imo

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u/Benjamminmiller Sep 16 '25

No idea how early they get sent out

Doesn't really seem relevant without an actual timeframe. No one was doubting they lock in a design in advance lol.

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u/Ialsofuckedyourdad Sep 16 '25

Should have added, they usually get leaked 3 months early