A new investor note from JPMorgan Chase seen by AppleInsider and MacRumors claims that Apple's high-end iPhone models will soon use titanium alongside or instead of aluminum or stainless steel. It also provides new insights about what to expect from 2022's iPhone lineup, Report informs via ArsTechnica.
Drawing from supply line sources, the note says the materials change is coming in 2022 and that Foxconn will be Apple's exclusive supplier for the titanium components. The Pro model phones from that year are likely to use a titanium alloy, which is stronger and more resistant to scratches than the stainless steel used in current iPhone models.
While the analyst report does not specify, it's very likely that we're talking about the chassis and the metallic band around the edge of the iPhone, not the front and the back. The front is expected to be glass still, and given that Apple continues to introduce new MagSafe and wireless charging products and features, we expect the back to remain glass as well.
The report also says the iPhone 14 will see more significant changes than the iPhone 13, suggesting that this year's new iPhones will be spec bumps with minor new features akin to past iPhone launches with an "-S" appended to the products' names. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 in 2022 will bring a redesign of sorts and major new features, akin to the iPhone X or iPhone 12.