So here’s an opinion I haven’t heard a lot in the Apple community - I wish Apple had stuck with aluminum frames across the line on it’s phones over the steel. I’m not one to moan and groan about the iPhone prices, as the iPhone X and now XS Max that I own feel premium. They are my favorite iPhones I’ve ever owned (going back to my first, the iPhone 4). But I always liked the feel of the aluminum, and while the polished silver steel on my iPhone X and now the space black steel on my iPhone XS Max look great, it added a heft to my phone that makes me miss the lighter feeling of my wife’s iPhone 8 Plus.
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S10s stick with the aluminum frame, polished to look reminiscent of the more premium steel, it makes me wish even more for a return to aluminum frames. I’m certainly not being lured to Samsung, but I am jealous after hearing so many tech reviewers state how the phones feel lighter and easier to handle despite the large screen sizes.
I also can’t help but think that it could help Apple shave off a few bucks to get these phones to a lower price point to improve their sales slump.
Am I really alone in this opinion? Am I the only one that would be willing to downgrade this one piece of the iPhone XS and XS Max to a feature of the XR? What about if it came with a $100 lower price point?
I like the steel frame of my XS Max because it look good and more importantly, I really dislike how soft aluminum is. I have an iPad and a MacBook Air that was dented due to a smack with the wall.
But if it saves $100 off, sure, sign me up for aluminum!
As long as we are wishing, I’d like to see Apple replace their fragile glass backs with something that can take normal wear & tear. I carried the original iPhone for 4 years without a case. Haven’t been able to do that since.
I don’t know; I have seen so many shattered iPhone 4s, 4Ses and 5s. Phones should probably have cases. I’m ambivalent in the stainless steel. The weight isn’t an issue for me. Cost savings would be nice, but I can’t see $100 just from that.
I’m not sure how much difference structurally a different frame material (keeping in mind that the front and back are still glass) would be. My wife’s iPhone 8 Plus with the aluminum frame has held up just fine for the last 15+ months.
Looking at the Verge’s review of the S10 shows that the polished aluminum frame looks just as good as the stainless steel in my mind.
I disagree. I think the steel makes the phone heavier. As someone who uses a case, I don’t want the added weight and the premium price that comes with it.