As it stands, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus rely on 6063 grade aluminum which is actually not as strong compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge which uses a slightly higher grade of 6013 aluminum. However if the rumors are to be believed, the upcoming iPhones from Apple this year could see the Cupertino company use a higher grade aluminum which would make the phone even stronger and durable.
This speculation is based on a recent statement made by Catcher Technologies’ CEO Allen Horng who told investors to expect higher revenues in the next quarter thanks to smoother productions and “strong orders” for metal casings for new projects, and that he expects things to really improve in Q4 2015.
For those unfamiliar, Catcher Technologies is one of the suppliers to Apple for their metal cases, which is why Horng’s statement had many speculate that he could be referring to the iPhone production which makes sense as later this year the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to be released, and based on demand we’ve seen in the past, a strong and steady flow of production is expected in order to keep up with the demand.
It has also been speculated that Apple could turn to using the 7000-series of aluminum. This is a stronger build than what is being used at the moment and it is also the same grade used in the Apple Watch. We’re not sure if this will be noticeable right off the bat, but it will be nice to know that our phones could be slightly more durable than before. In any case we highly doubt Apple is Catcher’s only customer so for all we know, Horng’s statements could just be a general remark so take it with a grain of salt for now.
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