6 ms·

iPhone 15 Pro facts and estimates

108 points by xu_ituairo 3y ago

lofaszvanitt 3y ago
Titanium is good, very good. If you ever had titanium based glasses, you never want to go back. I lost count how many times I sat on my glasses and just bent everything back in place.
addaon 3y ago
When I got the iPhone X, it was the first time that I thought the design was "good enough" for my purposes. (I had previously had an iPhone 1, 4, and 6S.) I could imagine further improvements, but I didn't really feel a desire for them. Unfortunately, I managed to destroy it during the iPhone 13 generation. Since I use my phone extremely heavily, and am not particularly cost sensitive, I assumed that I would go with the Pro model. But the weight of the 13 Pro very much turned me off... yeah, it's on the scale of ounces, but I do enough backpacking to at least think that I care. And it just wasn't as comfortable in the hand. So I ended up with the base model -- a pretty big misstep on Apple's part, down-selling an eager customer to a lower price, lower margin part. I just ordered the 15 Pro; this is the first time I'm using the trade in program, since my 13 is in perfect shape. (My 1 and 4 are sitting on a shelf somewhere, and my 6S was given away.) I didn't think there was anything that was going to drive me to upgrade, but the satellite-based roadside assistance is enough to get my dollar. I'll still keep the 406 MHz PLB in the glove compartment registered, but I'd much rather go through AAA than the coast guard if something comes up away from cell coverage.
- sbrother 3y ago
  Be careful with the satellite SOS feature. I accidentally left my 14 pro on the roof of my car when way outside of cell reception in rural Utah; it fell off and triggered the crash-triggered SOS feature. Wasted a bunch of emergency responder's time, which I felt awful about. Manually triggered SOS is great but I think enabling the crash triggered one is irresponsible.
  - addaon 3y ago
    It's a trade-off. I'll probably have the feature on when I'm in the small plane (although the chance of it getting a signal post-incident is nearly zero, I imagine), but yeah, I don't think it's the appropriate trade-off for me on regularly-trafficked roads. It sounds like the emergency features enable two-way communication, which is great, but I wonder if the procedures around that lead to more false positives. If they get an emergency signal and no further response, I suppose the appropriate assumption is to assume the worst, and send out responders. The PLB is unidirectional, so the procedures involve using the (regularly updated) contact info to see what the heck is likely going on. That'll get them to my cell phone (wouldn't have worked for you) and, failing that, to my emergency contacts -- and my parents (in my case) can reasonably say "try calling so-and-so, he should be with them", etc. Still takes responder time, but at least not a physical response until all other avenues are exhausted.
    - ReptileMan 3y ago
      >although the chance of it getting a signal post-incident is nearly zero, I imagine Not at all. The phone probably will be mostly intact - it has your soft squishy body to absorb the sudden deceleration.
  - bpye 3y ago
    Surely it’s pretty hard to use satellite SOS by accident since you need to point it at the satellite overhead? Was yours the normal crash or fall detection?
    - katbyte 3y ago
      You are supposed to but there was a story about it working in a canyon after a car crash 400ft down (https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/24/iphone-14-saves-man-at-mount-wilson/ https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/24/iphone-14-saves-man-at-...) saved his life and I’ve shared location and just tossed it down on a picnic table in a forest and it eventually sent. It definitely makes it connect faster (a min or two) vs the 10-20 it can take when you don’t I’m impressed and it’s nice to have that additional level of safety
- gnicholas 3y ago
  I also found the 13 Pro to be too heavy, and since the mini had all the features of the regular 13, I went with the cheaper/smaller mini. Apple missed the chance to sell me a phone that costs 50-75% more because it was just too much of a brick. And I say that as someone who has had other Pro iPhones in the past, and is generally an Apple early adopter.
wging 3y ago
The article claims much less certainty than implied by the post title. (“iPhone 15 Pro 10% lighter but 15% lower rotational inertia because of edge mass” is what it currently is.)
keyle 3y ago
I look forward to seeing the difference from the X! ... And then wrap a huge ass ugly cover on it and never feel it again. /s
- Gigachad 3y ago
  I used to do this, but then I realised I only ever drop my phone because it has a case on it. Now I have it bare and never drop it.
  - btgeekboy 3y ago
    I'm the opposite. They're too slippery without a case. Also helps get rid of the camera bumps.
    - notbeuller 3y ago
      I've got an iPhone Xs Max (how old? no clue) Despite the camera bump if I have it on a flat surface playing audio it will scoot off and take a dive. (I ended up putting a case on it for that reason alone)
  - oefrha 3y ago
    Not in my case. I never ever used a case since iPhone 4. Then I dropped my slippery XS Max two months in, cracked the back glass, and “repair” cost like 70% of a new phone. So it’s been living in the silicone case since, it’s no longer slippery and I don’t see the crack.
    - indemnity 3y ago
      I guess the XS Max would be well outside of AppleCare+ territory, but for those of us who upgrade every 2-3 years, AppleCare+ is great. It's literally insurance for your phone except you don't have to deal with the insurer. I've only used the Express Replacement Service part of it twice, but when I've used it, it's been like magic. I get a brand new (refurb probably, but who can tell) phone within 2 days, and then I send back the old one. No questions asked, no weeks of wrangling with the insurer.
KingLancelot 3y ago
[dead]
jrflowers 3y ago
This is a shame. I am going to have to migrate to an Android-based handset for the first time in 15 years because of this change.
- mvkel 3y ago
  Can you give more background? Why?
  - enjeyw 3y ago
    Parent doesn't actually care; it's all just spin.
  - jrflowers 3y ago
    It is an edge use case.
- xena 3y ago
  How could this possibly be the deciding factor? I know this is Hacker News but that seems like the smallest possible thing to care about.
  - jojobas 3y ago
    I guess that's the joke. Nobody cares about phone rotational inertia, the fact that someone would measure it is funny as is.
    - mannyv 3y ago
      The point of the article is that Apple made the phone feel much lighter than a straight up mass reduction would indicate. It's actually something that Apple's design team is really good at. If you've ever held an IPP or ipad air without its case you'd know what the guy was talking about. Alas, reading isn't a required skill for commenters.
    - masklinn 3y ago
      People actually care, this got investigated because early reviewers “felt” the phone was much lighter than it actually is (which is quite welcome). The lower moment of inertia is the cause of that difference.
weinzierl 3y ago
"iPhone 15 Pro 10% lighter but 15% lower rotational inertia because of edge mass" The "but" in the title confuses me. Both are good things and make the phone feel lighter, so shouldn't it be "and"?
- dehrmann 3y ago
  It's not intuitive that those values don't match up.
- denkmoon 3y ago
  Lower rotational inertia is definitely a downside, it is absolutely a downgrade in the critical fidget-spinning-your-phone experience.
- masklinn 3y ago
  The “but” is to indicate that while you’d expect to feel a 10% difference owing to mass, you actually feel a larger difference as most of the removed mass is at the edge, so the phone has a significantly lower moment of inertia.
- xxs 3y ago
  Nowadays, I consider heavier -> better. Phones can be somewhat an exception, however it usually comes at the expense of battery, overall rigidity. There are exceptions - using lighter materials - notably Al, Mg alloys vs steel.
  - a_t48 3y ago
    A lighter phone should mean less energy applied to your screen when you drop it.
    - xxs 3y ago
      Alternatively, it means a ticker, metal infused glass pane... or there is a shock absorbing layer to prevent all the stress to be distributed through the glass pane. If you take some tools - e.g. multimeters, dropping them from 2m height is a rather standard test for their build quality/durability. Not saying I'd expect most phones to survive that, yet it's quite common to prefer the minimalist, throw away devices.
tromp 3y ago
Minor nitpick: the title would read better if it said "because of reduced edge mass".
bambax 3y ago
> One answer is that people are just more sensitive than we give them credit for being. A 9–10% drop in weight may seem like a small amount to our brains but a large amount to our hands. This has been my experience. I finally upgraded my Garmin Fenix 3 watch to a 7 (titanium). The 3 weighted 82g while the 7 is 73g. You would think the difference is negligible. You would be wrong. It changes everything. I used to be extremely conscious of the presence of the 3 on my wrist. With the 7 I forget it, I don't even feel it anymore.
- dijit 3y ago
  Honestly I would make a strong generalisation here that in matters of dexterity, small changes are profound. The "jump" in phone size from the iPhone 5 to the 6 was extremely jarring (and the 12 mini) to me, despite being "only a little bit larger" than the 5. I think our hands are so used to fine motor movement that small changes can have substantial effects. See also: the entire mechanical keyboard industry.
- deniscepko2 3y ago
  Its interesting that the weight is such an issue. I have 13 pro it weighs a lot and i love it and the case actually adds some weight. Cant name all the reasons why i like it ( just a feeling i guess) but one reason is that i know for sure when the phone is in my pocket and i didnt forget it.
drcongo 3y ago
The most salient part of the entire article for me is this line: "[...] it’s also used in medical implants, so you know that skin contact won’t be a problem." - if I hold my iPhone 12 Pro for too long I get blisters on my palm.
- FieryTransition 3y ago
  You might be allergic, I would get that tested, but it's nothing to worry about, just nice to know. AFAIK most people shouldn't react badly to prolonged skin contact with aluminum in the range that is holding a phone.
  - drcongo 3y ago
    I am - I have an extremely sensitive nickel allergy. The iPhone 12 Pro is a stainless steel body but I think with such a low nickel content that it could be classed as surgical grade, it takes holding for a long time for it to cause blisters. Coins on the other hand (no pun intended) can cause my skin to start bubbling like a burn in no time at all. As far as I'm aware, titanium is almost never mixed with nickel, it's my favourite metal.
    - ecnahc515 3y ago
      Wow that's truly unfortunate. I hope one day health science can solve that problem for you. Have you travelled to Europe where there's a lot more usage of coins (eg euros/franc)? Do you just have to wear gloves?
      - drcongo 3y ago
        Technically I'm in Europe (the continent, but no longer the economic zone) in the UK. It's been years since I've really had to handle coins, but even so, it takes holding it in my hand for maybe 30 minutes to cause the blistering and that's not something I've needed to do very often. Nickel allergy is fairly common but I understand mine is a fair bit more sensitive than most. The main inconvenience from it is having to be very careful about what I buy if I'm going to need to touch it - no metal framed glasses, my wedding ring is zirconium, and the rivets on most jeans will burn me even through my underwear. When a few years ago I found a pair that I liked the fit of, and also had nickel-free rivets, I bought 10 pairs.
0wis 3y ago
On the contrary to many other comments, I think this article is quite interesting. As a mechanical engineer, I know moment of inertia is very important for many designs, albeit often for more functional reasons than the user’s feelings. It is a short and quickly written article with back of the napkin maths but its good enough (and what most engineers are doing at work anyway). And it reminds us that the spec sheet is not everything. It’s nice to have a lighter phone, but is it really what matters ? It shows once again how Apple design teams are focused on user experience. I know they aren’t perfect and Apple gets a lot of criticism on HN (mostly deserved), but at least they are great on pushing the extra mile on this kind of things. It reminds me of how much people were surprised about EV acceleration capability because they compared vehicles on HP, overlooking sometimes torque and often jerk curves.
mkroman 3y ago
One thing I haven't seen discussed is the thermal properties of this expected Ti-6Al-4V alloy. According to these specs, the alloys thermal conductivity is 6.7 W/m-K: https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=mtp641 https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=m... Whereas 6063-T6 aluminium has a thermal conductivity of 200 W/m-K: https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=MA6063T6 https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=M... Even if the alloy in the iPhone is a bit more of an exotic blend, won't it still impact the cooling ability of the phone quite significantly?
- huijzer 3y ago
  Good point! Maybe that explains why they chose it only for the bands. People touch the phone the most at the outsides, so this sounds like a great trade-off between allowing the phone to cool itself (via the aluminum back) while not being hot or cold to the touch when holding it.
- indemnity 3y ago
  Well, the predecessor is stainless steel, which I imagine is closer to the Ti number, and in my experience with 12/13 Pro it's always the back that throws off heat, not the frame. Anyhow, just the frame is this material, inside its Al.
- layer8 3y ago
  Probably a little, but the titanium is only the outer side bands. Most of the heat dissipation happens from the front and back of the phone. And Ti-6Al-4V is not an exotic blend, it’s a standard alloy.
throwaway_ab 3y ago
Saving 20 grams of stationary mass is equal to saving possibly 200 grams in quick movement, such as taking the phone out of a pocket quickly. This is going to be quite noticeable. Add in to this the authors calculations of rotational inertia savings of 15% the effect might be even more pronounced. So when moving the phone from pocket to quickly see a message or phone call, those savings reduce the weight of the phone during this motion by almost the weight of the phone itself. Definitely noticeable. ----- A few years ago I tried to work out the stationary weight limit of my roof rack on my 4wd, for example if I wanted to mount a rooftop tent with two adults (I'm overweight at the moment) and wanted to know if my size was an issue. Assuming a stationary weight of tent and other stuff and me and my partner I pushed my estimate to 400kg. The roof rack is rated at 100kg carrying capacity. What does 100kg equal to when going up and down sand dunes? I found a forum post where someone worked out with calculus the "weight" that 100kg turns into 700kg - 800kg whilst off-roading aggressively, the roof rack experiences almost 80% of a ton due to the acceleration/deceleration pressing into and away from the car in a vertical diagonal motion. With that I could rest easy knowing I'll never approach those numbers whilst the vehicle is stationary. ------ I figure that quick motion moving the phone from pocket to in front of your face involves similar forces. Intuitively this checks out. Hold your phone in front of your face. Now move quickly side to side. Your phone is easily exerting 1kg of force as you wave it around. That 20 grams saving will make a huge difference.
WirelessGigabit 3y ago
I'd love to see first week sales numbers of the iPhone 14 Pro vs the iPhone 15 Pro. N=1, the missus wanted a new phone last year and opted to wait for the iPhone 14 Pro. We had to wait to get it as it was out of stock in the larger Los Angeles Metro. Now, iPhone 15 Pro, 4 days before launch, I can still buy it today and get it delivered on 9/22.
selcuka 3y ago
As far as I remember humans can tell a 0.5g difference between two objects. Obviously this is when holding each object in one hand, but I am still not that surprised that we can tell that a phone is 19g lighter than the other.

108 points by xu_ituairo 3y ago

Titanium is good, very good. If you ever had titanium based glasses, you never want to go back. I lost count how many times I sat on my glasses and just bent everything back in place.

addaon 3y ago

When I got the iPhone X, it was the first time that I thought the design was "good enough" for my purposes. (I had previously had an iPhone 1, 4, and 6S.) I could imagine further improvements, but I didn't really feel a desire for them. Unfortunately, I managed to destroy it during the iPhone 13 generation. Since I use my phone extremely heavily, and am not particularly cost sensitive, I assumed that I would go with the Pro model. But the weight of the 13 Pro very much turned me off... yeah, it's on the scale of ounces, but I do enough backpacking to at least think that I care. And it just wasn't as comfortable in the hand. So I ended up with the base model -- a pretty big misstep on Apple's part, down-selling an eager customer to a lower price, lower margin part. I just ordered the 15 Pro; this is the first time I'm using the trade in program, since my 13 is in perfect shape. (My 1 and 4 are sitting on a shelf somewhere, and my 6S was given away.) I didn't think there was anything that was going to drive me to upgrade, but the satellite-based roadside assistance is enough to get my dollar. I'll still keep the 406 MHz PLB in the glove compartment registered, but I'd much rather go through AAA than the coast guard if something comes up away from cell coverage.

sbrother 3y ago
Be careful with the satellite SOS feature. I accidentally left my 14 pro on the roof of my car when way outside of cell reception in rural Utah; it fell off and triggered the crash-triggered SOS feature. Wasted a bunch of emergency responder's time, which I felt awful about. Manually triggered SOS is great but I think enabling the crash triggered one is irresponsible.
- addaon 3y ago
  It's a trade-off. I'll probably have the feature on when I'm in the small plane (although the chance of it getting a signal post-incident is nearly zero, I imagine), but yeah, I don't think it's the appropriate trade-off for me on regularly-trafficked roads. It sounds like the emergency features enable two-way communication, which is great, but I wonder if the procedures around that lead to more false positives. If they get an emergency signal and no further response, I suppose the appropriate assumption is to assume the worst, and send out responders. The PLB is unidirectional, so the procedures involve using the (regularly updated) contact info to see what the heck is likely going on. That'll get them to my cell phone (wouldn't have worked for you) and, failing that, to my emergency contacts -- and my parents (in my case) can reasonably say "try calling so-and-so, he should be with them", etc. Still takes responder time, but at least not a physical response until all other avenues are exhausted.
  - ReptileMan 3y ago
    >although the chance of it getting a signal post-incident is nearly zero, I imagine Not at all. The phone probably will be mostly intact - it has your soft squishy body to absorb the sudden deceleration.
- bpye 3y ago
  Surely it’s pretty hard to use satellite SOS by accident since you need to point it at the satellite overhead? Was yours the normal crash or fall detection?
  - katbyte 3y ago
    You are supposed to but there was a story about it working in a canyon after a car crash 400ft down (https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/24/iphone-14-saves-man-at-mount-wilson/ https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/24/iphone-14-saves-man-at-...) saved his life and I’ve shared location and just tossed it down on a picnic table in a forest and it eventually sent. It definitely makes it connect faster (a min or two) vs the 10-20 it can take when you don’t I’m impressed and it’s nice to have that additional level of safety
gnicholas 3y ago
I also found the 13 Pro to be too heavy, and since the mini had all the features of the regular 13, I went with the cheaper/smaller mini. Apple missed the chance to sell me a phone that costs 50-75% more because it was just too much of a brick. And I say that as someone who has had other Pro iPhones in the past, and is generally an Apple early adopter.

wging 3y ago

The article claims much less certainty than implied by the post title. (“iPhone 15 Pro 10% lighter but 15% lower rotational inertia because of edge mass” is what it currently is.)

keyle 3y ago

I look forward to seeing the difference from the X! ... And then wrap a huge ass ugly cover on it and never feel it again. /s

Gigachad 3y ago
I used to do this, but then I realised I only ever drop my phone because it has a case on it. Now I have it bare and never drop it.
- btgeekboy 3y ago
  I'm the opposite. They're too slippery without a case. Also helps get rid of the camera bumps.
  - notbeuller 3y ago
    I've got an iPhone Xs Max (how old? no clue) Despite the camera bump if I have it on a flat surface playing audio it will scoot off and take a dive. (I ended up putting a case on it for that reason alone)
- oefrha 3y ago
  Not in my case. I never ever used a case since iPhone 4. Then I dropped my slippery XS Max two months in, cracked the back glass, and “repair” cost like 70% of a new phone. So it’s been living in the silicone case since, it’s no longer slippery and I don’t see the crack.
  - indemnity 3y ago
    I guess the XS Max would be well outside of AppleCare+ territory, but for those of us who upgrade every 2-3 years, AppleCare+ is great. It's literally insurance for your phone except you don't have to deal with the insurer. I've only used the Express Replacement Service part of it twice, but when I've used it, it's been like magic. I get a brand new (refurb probably, but who can tell) phone within 2 days, and then I send back the old one. No questions asked, no weeks of wrangling with the insurer.

KingLancelot 3y ago

[dead]

jrflowers 3y ago

This is a shame. I am going to have to migrate to an Android-based handset for the first time in 15 years because of this change.

mvkel 3y ago
Can you give more background? Why?
- enjeyw 3y ago
  Parent doesn't actually care; it's all just spin.
- jrflowers 3y ago
  It is an edge use case.
xena 3y ago
How could this possibly be the deciding factor? I know this is Hacker News but that seems like the smallest possible thing to care about.
- jojobas 3y ago
  I guess that's the joke. Nobody cares about phone rotational inertia, the fact that someone would measure it is funny as is.
  - mannyv 3y ago
    The point of the article is that Apple made the phone feel much lighter than a straight up mass reduction would indicate. It's actually something that Apple's design team is really good at. If you've ever held an IPP or ipad air without its case you'd know what the guy was talking about. Alas, reading isn't a required skill for commenters.
  - masklinn 3y ago
    People actually care, this got investigated because early reviewers “felt” the phone was much lighter than it actually is (which is quite welcome). The lower moment of inertia is the cause of that difference.

weinzierl 3y ago

"iPhone 15 Pro 10% lighter but 15% lower rotational inertia because of edge mass" The "but" in the title confuses me. Both are good things and make the phone feel lighter, so shouldn't it be "and"?

dehrmann 3y ago
It's not intuitive that those values don't match up.
denkmoon 3y ago
Lower rotational inertia is definitely a downside, it is absolutely a downgrade in the critical fidget-spinning-your-phone experience.
masklinn 3y ago
The “but” is to indicate that while you’d expect to feel a 10% difference owing to mass, you actually feel a larger difference as most of the removed mass is at the edge, so the phone has a significantly lower moment of inertia.
xxs 3y ago
Nowadays, I consider heavier -> better. Phones can be somewhat an exception, however it usually comes at the expense of battery, overall rigidity. There are exceptions - using lighter materials - notably Al, Mg alloys vs steel.
- a_t48 3y ago
  A lighter phone should mean less energy applied to your screen when you drop it.
  - xxs 3y ago
    Alternatively, it means a ticker, metal infused glass pane... or there is a shock absorbing layer to prevent all the stress to be distributed through the glass pane. If you take some tools - e.g. multimeters, dropping them from 2m height is a rather standard test for their build quality/durability. Not saying I'd expect most phones to survive that, yet it's quite common to prefer the minimalist, throw away devices.

tromp 3y ago

Minor nitpick: the title would read better if it said "because of reduced edge mass".

bambax 3y ago

> One answer is that people are just more sensitive than we give them credit for being. A 9–10% drop in weight may seem like a small amount to our brains but a large amount to our hands. This has been my experience. I finally upgraded my Garmin Fenix 3 watch to a 7 (titanium). The 3 weighted 82g while the 7 is 73g. You would think the difference is negligible. You would be wrong. It changes everything. I used to be extremely conscious of the presence of the 3 on my wrist. With the 7 I forget it, I don't even feel it anymore.

dijit 3y ago
Honestly I would make a strong generalisation here that in matters of dexterity, small changes are profound. The "jump" in phone size from the iPhone 5 to the 6 was extremely jarring (and the 12 mini) to me, despite being "only a little bit larger" than the 5. I think our hands are so used to fine motor movement that small changes can have substantial effects. See also: the entire mechanical keyboard industry.
deniscepko2 3y ago
Its interesting that the weight is such an issue. I have 13 pro it weighs a lot and i love it and the case actually adds some weight. Cant name all the reasons why i like it ( just a feeling i guess) but one reason is that i know for sure when the phone is in my pocket and i didnt forget it.

drcongo 3y ago

The most salient part of the entire article for me is this line: "[...] it’s also used in medical implants, so you know that skin contact won’t be a problem." - if I hold my iPhone 12 Pro for too long I get blisters on my palm.

FieryTransition 3y ago
You might be allergic, I would get that tested, but it's nothing to worry about, just nice to know. AFAIK most people shouldn't react badly to prolonged skin contact with aluminum in the range that is holding a phone.
- drcongo 3y ago
  I am - I have an extremely sensitive nickel allergy. The iPhone 12 Pro is a stainless steel body but I think with such a low nickel content that it could be classed as surgical grade, it takes holding for a long time for it to cause blisters. Coins on the other hand (no pun intended) can cause my skin to start bubbling like a burn in no time at all. As far as I'm aware, titanium is almost never mixed with nickel, it's my favourite metal.
  - ecnahc515 3y ago
    Wow that's truly unfortunate. I hope one day health science can solve that problem for you. Have you travelled to Europe where there's a lot more usage of coins (eg euros/franc)? Do you just have to wear gloves?
    - drcongo 3y ago
      Technically I'm in Europe (the continent, but no longer the economic zone) in the UK. It's been years since I've really had to handle coins, but even so, it takes holding it in my hand for maybe 30 minutes to cause the blistering and that's not something I've needed to do very often. Nickel allergy is fairly common but I understand mine is a fair bit more sensitive than most. The main inconvenience from it is having to be very careful about what I buy if I'm going to need to touch it - no metal framed glasses, my wedding ring is zirconium, and the rivets on most jeans will burn me even through my underwear. When a few years ago I found a pair that I liked the fit of, and also had nickel-free rivets, I bought 10 pairs.

0wis 3y ago

On the contrary to many other comments, I think this article is quite interesting. As a mechanical engineer, I know moment of inertia is very important for many designs, albeit often for more functional reasons than the user’s feelings. It is a short and quickly written article with back of the napkin maths but its good enough (and what most engineers are doing at work anyway). And it reminds us that the spec sheet is not everything. It’s nice to have a lighter phone, but is it really what matters ? It shows once again how Apple design teams are focused on user experience. I know they aren’t perfect and Apple gets a lot of criticism on HN (mostly deserved), but at least they are great on pushing the extra mile on this kind of things. It reminds me of how much people were surprised about EV acceleration capability because they compared vehicles on HP, overlooking sometimes torque and often jerk curves.

mkroman 3y ago

One thing I haven't seen discussed is the thermal properties of this expected Ti-6Al-4V alloy. According to these specs, the alloys thermal conductivity is 6.7 W/m-K: https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=mtp641 https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=m... Whereas 6063-T6 aluminium has a thermal conductivity of 200 W/m-K: https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=MA6063T6 https://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=M... Even if the alloy in the iPhone is a bit more of an exotic blend, won't it still impact the cooling ability of the phone quite significantly?

huijzer 3y ago
Good point! Maybe that explains why they chose it only for the bands. People touch the phone the most at the outsides, so this sounds like a great trade-off between allowing the phone to cool itself (via the aluminum back) while not being hot or cold to the touch when holding it.
indemnity 3y ago
Well, the predecessor is stainless steel, which I imagine is closer to the Ti number, and in my experience with 12/13 Pro it's always the back that throws off heat, not the frame. Anyhow, just the frame is this material, inside its Al.
layer8 3y ago
Probably a little, but the titanium is only the outer side bands. Most of the heat dissipation happens from the front and back of the phone. And Ti-6Al-4V is not an exotic blend, it’s a standard alloy.

throwaway_ab 3y ago

Saving 20 grams of stationary mass is equal to saving possibly 200 grams in quick movement, such as taking the phone out of a pocket quickly. This is going to be quite noticeable. Add in to this the authors calculations of rotational inertia savings of 15% the effect might be even more pronounced. So when moving the phone from pocket to quickly see a message or phone call, those savings reduce the weight of the phone during this motion by almost the weight of the phone itself. Definitely noticeable. ----- A few years ago I tried to work out the stationary weight limit of my roof rack on my 4wd, for example if I wanted to mount a rooftop tent with two adults (I'm overweight at the moment) and wanted to know if my size was an issue. Assuming a stationary weight of tent and other stuff and me and my partner I pushed my estimate to 400kg. The roof rack is rated at 100kg carrying capacity. What does 100kg equal to when going up and down sand dunes? I found a forum post where someone worked out with calculus the "weight" that 100kg turns into 700kg - 800kg whilst off-roading aggressively, the roof rack experiences almost 80% of a ton due to the acceleration/deceleration pressing into and away from the car in a vertical diagonal motion. With that I could rest easy knowing I'll never approach those numbers whilst the vehicle is stationary. ------ I figure that quick motion moving the phone from pocket to in front of your face involves similar forces. Intuitively this checks out. Hold your phone in front of your face. Now move quickly side to side. Your phone is easily exerting 1kg of force as you wave it around. That 20 grams saving will make a huge difference.

WirelessGigabit 3y ago

I'd love to see first week sales numbers of the iPhone 14 Pro vs the iPhone 15 Pro. N=1, the missus wanted a new phone last year and opted to wait for the iPhone 14 Pro. We had to wait to get it as it was out of stock in the larger Los Angeles Metro. Now, iPhone 15 Pro, 4 days before launch, I can still buy it today and get it delivered on 9/22.

selcuka 3y ago

As far as I remember humans can tell a 0.5g difference between two objects. Obviously this is when holding each object in one hand, but I am still not that surprised that we can tell that a phone is 19g lighter than the other.