Apple Could Be Working on Titanium iPhone and MacBook, Patent Hints

BY Sanuj Bhatia

Published 26 Jan 2021

titanium iphone top

Apple is known for the build quality and design of its products, and the company is now looking to use even stronger material for its future iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

Apple has been granted a lot of patents in the past, but only a few of them have actually been implemented. There have been leaks in the past hinting that Apple could use Titanium in future Apple products. In the patent granted to Apple last year, Apple achieved a process that allowed a matte finish to the Titanium-built products.

According to a new patent granted to Apple, the company has now achieved a process that could give Titanium, a semi-gloss finish. Apple’s main point of using Titanium in a product has been the rigidity and the sturdiness it brings to the product. But the company has failed to invent a process that could give this material a gloss-like finish.

Apple notes that the modern-day portable devices have a lot of ‘operational components’ like display, camera, etc. Enclosures of these portable electronic devices can be formed of various metals, but it’s difficult to process them in a way to achieve an ‘attractive surface finish.’

“This paper describes various embodiments that relate generally to techniques for etching a titanium part. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to systems and methods for restoring gloss finish of the etched titanium part.”

The patent then describes the technical process that goes into producing glossy Titanium. Titanium is much stronger than the aluminum Apple uses in its current products. Due to the metal being lighter and stronger, Apple can use a far thinner piece to achieve the same strength and stiffness. This would result in a lighter, and thinner phone.

Apple currently uses Titanium on its Apple Watch. Even the body of the Apple Card is made out of Titanium.

We Want to Hear From You

What are your thoughts on a Titanium body iPhone and MacBook? Would you like to use an iPhone built out of Titanium? Have you used the Apple Watch Titanium edition? What are your thoughts on it? Is it any different from the normal stainless steel version? Do let us know in the comment section below!

[Via USPTO]