Apple’s “Awe dropping” event on Tuesday will finally solve the biggest mystery around the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The fact that there’s any mystery at all less than a week before the iPhone event is exciting on its own.
iPhone 17 Pro design and materials
iPhone 17 Pro details that we’re confident on include the new starting price and base storage amount, the new camera bar design and what each camera can do, and a somewhat surprising shift from titanium back to aluminum for the outside frame.
If Apple actually does use aluminum instead of titanium, it’ll be a first for Apple’s Pro phones. Aluminum’s history with the iPhone goes back to the beginning of the model, but Pro models have always used titanium or stainless steel.
In fact, titanium was a primary marketing point for the iPhone 15 Pro when Apple switched from stainless steel to the lighter yet stronger material.
This year Apple is expected to only use titanium for the iPhone 17 Air, which, let’s face it, needs the strongest case material possible to avoid YouTubers trying to make Bendgate 2025 happen.
Why Apple may choose aluminum over titanium
For iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, there are at least two perks to going aluminum for the first time. While titanium is lighter than stainless steel, aluminum is lighter than titanium. Better yet, Apple has a long history of anodizing aluminum in cool colors. Just look at the iMac line and every standard iPhone sold since the iPhone XR.
For me, I’m not even sure I could tell the difference between brushed aluminum and brushed titanium from just glancing at the iPhone casing. Lightness and color are easier to appreciate. Admittedly, I still have a fondness for the heft and shine of the polished white iPhone X though.
sFor the reasons stated, Apple switching from titanium to aluminum for the Pro models isn’t much of a mystery. It helps that unlike standard iPhone models, Apple discontinues the previous generation of Pro models when a newer version comes along. That means iPhone 17 Air will be the only titanium model in the lineup. iPhone 17 Pro materials won’t be directly compared to iPhone 16 Pro materials on an Apple Store merchandise table.
The biggest mystery still unsolved
What remains a mystery, at least until September 9, is what material will make up the back of the iPhone 17 Pro.
There have been two competing design rumors. One shows an all-glass back like we have on the iPhone 16 Pro. Another shows an aluminum back with a glass portion in the center.
This illustration shows the two designs that have been used in unofficial iPhone 17 Pro design mockups:
Two design possibilities; one outcome.
Over the last 6 months we’ve debated whether the next Pro Model will come with an all glass back or a new unibody design… and next week all will be revealed! pic.twitter.com/gEmMNtPTt1
— Aaron Carpenter (@Aaron_Carpentr) September 3, 2025
If I were betting, I’d put my money on the full glass back design. The camera bar design alone signals that it’s the 17 Pro and not an older model. It’s also consistent with Apple’s iterative design approach, which evolves slowly and rarely changes radically all at once.
The metal-and-glass back is more visually striking, but I’m not sure it’s the better look. More durable? Maybe. It actually looks a lot like those fan-made iPhone Ultra design mockups that became popular after the Apple Watch Ultra design was revealed.
For those reasons, I’ll be surprised if the two-toned style is what we see on Tuesday. It’s not a bad look at all, but I just don’t think it’s what we’ll see for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
In the meantime, the mystery lingers for a few more days. Which do you prefer, and which do you think we’ll actually see on Tuesday?
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