iPhone durability: How Apple made iPhones stronger and sturdier every year

When we think of Apple, we think of luxury. Apple produces one of the best-built smartphones today, with iPhones having materials like stainless steel, aluminium and titanium, taking the durability factor up a notch. But iPhones weren’t always as durable as they are today.

A viral video on Instagram shows some of the older iPhones pit against newer ones, showcasing how Apple improved the built quality of iPhones year-on-year. From aluminium and plastic to titanium, let’s dive in to see how Apple made iPhones stronger and sturdier every year.

Started off with aluminium

Apple started off producing iPhones with an aluminium frame. The original iPhone and the iPhone 3G were made of an aluminium frame. Then, Apple went for stainless steel for the iPhone 4 models. The stainless-steel frame was paired with a glass back, making the iPhone 4 series an instant favourite for many.

A unibody construction, a risky bet with plastic

Then came the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, which were machined out of a single-block aluminium, making them look premium in hands and more durable and shatterproof due to the removal of glass. In the same series, however, there was the iPhone 5c, which Apple sold as an affordable iPhone by trading off its built quality. The iPhone 5c was made of a plastic body.

Following the iPhone 5, was the iPhone 6, which brought larger screens and thinner bodies. However, Apple still used the same 6,000 series aluminium to construct these. While the 6,000 series alunimium was sturdy, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were too thin, which led to the infamous “bendgate” issue. For those unware, the iPhone 6 lineup used to bend easily, and some instances show that they bent even in pockets without using any force.

However, Apple fixed this with the iPhone 6s by using a much stronger 7,000 series aluminium. This made the iPhone 6s more durable. It was followed by the iPhone 7 with the same material, and then the iPhone 8 with a glass sandwich design (which was a mix of glass back and aluminium sides).

Moved to stainless-steel

The iPhone X, XS, and the iPhone 11 were made of the same formula, i.e., a glass sandwich design with a mix of glass back panel and an aliminium side frame. With the iPhone 12 Pro, however, Apple moved to stainless steel, brining the iPhone 4s nostalgia.

From the iPhone 12 series to the iPhone 14 series, Apple used a stainless-steel frame for the Pro models and an aluminum frame for the base models. This built formula by Apple worked well, with even other brands using stainless steel in their premium smartphones, like Samsung and Huawei.

Stuck to Titanium

Since 2023, Apple moved to a more premium material – Titanium. For both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro series, Apple has used Grade 5 Titanium. Using a titanium frame not only makes the device more premium, but also reduces the extra weight which gets added by using a stainless-steel frame.

A combination of a high-quality glass back, paired with a titanium frame has been working for Apple, and even competitors like Samsung switched to titanium with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

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Notably, base iPhones still use an aluminium frame and so do Samsung base models. Aluminium has retained, but it’s stronger, thanks to its glass sandwich application. Meanwhile, titanium appears to be the new premium material for premium iPhones, and it’s here to stay.

Apple is expected to continue to take iPhone’s durability up a notch every year by using high quality and sturdier materials. But what’s next after titanium? We’ll wait and see. Until then, you can be assured of quality and durability when buying any of the new iPhones, especially the Pro models.