Latest Apple leaks suggest that the new Apple iPhone will come in forged steel, with radical redesigning of the device.
It is merely a few months since the iPhone 7 was released, and there are several rumors regarding the next iPhone 2017. The rumors might make Apple fans happy, as the new phones will supposedly use forged stainless steel for the crafting process in the glass encased iPhone, ditching the usual aluminum CNC.
Redesigning in Forged Steel
There are several credible leaks that suggest the new Apple iPhone for 2017 will come in forged steel, instead of aluminum, thereby resulting in a radical redesigning of the iconic iPhone. DigiTimes cites sources in Taiwan, claiming that Apple has decided to leave its major manufacturer, Foxconn, so that it can get forged steel for its next iPhone chassis from another supplier, Jabil. Some rumors claim that the orders for the components of the new Apple iPhone 8 will be shared between the two suppliers : Foxconn and the US based Jabil. The stainless steel chassis will sandwich the front and the rear glass panels on the phone.
A Repetition?
This sounds a little familiar, as Apple had used the same method on the Apple iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, with stainless steel offering a rather similar effect. However, there will be some differences in the use of the forged stainless steel in the new iPhone devices coming in the later part of 2017.
Metal Forging Change
The change is specified as a move from billet milling to another method called metal forging. In case of billet milling done previously, the chassis is cut from one aluminum piece. On the other hand, the new metal forging method will squeeze the metallic alloy, using a lot of pressure to push it onto the mold. In the latter case, the result is a more strong metal. The glass in the upcoming iPhone 8 is likely to be thinner than the one on the iPhone 4, so it actually needs more toughness. In addition, the use of forged steel will also result in a reduction in manufacturing costs. The steel procedure was previously used in the Apple iPhone 4S.
However, other iPhone devices after the iPhone 4S continued to use Aluminum, in order to maintain the slimness of the phone and also to keep it lightweight.
Tough Grade
Though the resulting metal will be much stronger than seen before, it cannot be considered to offer a military grade of toughness. This is because the front and the back will still continue to be in glass and this said, even if it is the toughest of glass, it is still glass. However, the upside to the use of the new forged stainless steel is that Apple can offer a slimmer core chassis and at the same time, retain the structural integrity of the device. This implies that Apple’s new iPhone 2017 will offer substance as well as style, but it still remains to be seen whether there will be space enough for a bigger battery.