A new report from DigiTimes (a subscription is required to read the entire article) says Apple may make future iPad bodies from titanium instead of aluminum.
“The new iPad will also equip with aluminum-alloy chassis that will be processed by PVD,” the article says. “The sources also revealed that Apple is also considering equipping iPads with titanium-based metal chassis, but the high costs for doing so may not be economical at the moment.”
The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) says there’s a 60% chance this will happen over the next 12 months. Apple has been granted various patents for titanium devices.
One is patent number 11,032,930 for “titanium surfaces with improved color consistency and resistance to color change.” Titanium is heavier than aluminum. However, it’s stronger, so a far thinner piece can be used to accomplish the same strength and stiffness. The result would be a lightweight, durable case. The accompanying image is from the patent data.
