by Dan Moren
iPhone 6s may feature Apple’s own special blend of aluminum
A video surfaced last week of what purported to be the outer shell for the forthcoming iPhone 6s, and how it compared to the current model in terms of materials. (Specifically, how much force it withstood vis-a-vis bending.)
The Internet’s favorite pseudonymous scientician, Dr. Drang, took a detailed look at the video’s claims, and comes to an interesting conclusion:
In the video, Lew finesses this unknown by calling the new material “7000 series,” which is certainly true, but it’s not the whole truth. To me, the fact that the aluminum in the new shell doesn’t meet a standard specification is one of the most interesting findings. It suggests that Apple has developed its own proprietary aluminum alloy.
Given the company’s growing fascination with material science, this doesn’t surprise me. Why hire folks to make special blends of gold and stainless steel if you’re not going to continue to use their expertise to enhance your other products? Apple doesn’t dabble in things like this–it invests. And after the whole to-do about the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus bending under pressure, it makes sense that they’d want to combat this.