Last month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made some interesting predictions about the iPhone 6S. He predicted that the new iPhone arriving this fall would feature a super strong Series 7000 aluminum alloy to make Bendgate almost impossible. Last year, Apple drew flack when many users reported that their new iPhone 6 Plus was bending in their pockets under minimal pressure.
Catcher CEO indirectly confirms Series 7000 alloys in next iPhone
Series 7000 is the same metal the Cupertino-based tech giant uses in its Apple Watch. It is 60% stronger than the material used in the iPhone 6, but weighs only a third as much as stainless steel. In case you doubt Kuo’s predictions, an Apple supplier has indirectly confirmed that the iPhone 6S will indeed have a stronger metal body.
Allen Horng, the CEO of Catcher Technology, said during a media briefing that the company was anticipating higher revenue in the next quarter due to smoother production and “strong orders for metal casings for new projects.” Catcher supplies metal case to Apple. He added that the company was facing issues with a “novel process” for one of its major clients manufacturing smartphones.
iPhone 6S will also borrow Force Touch from Apple Watch
He didn’t stop there. Horng further revealed that the new process involves a “surface treatment on a harder metallic material that is more difficult than traditional metal casing processes.” Metal casing treatments are far more complicated and delicate than people think, and it requires more than just advanced equipment. However, he added, the new process will not be a problem for Catcher, which keeps improving its techniques.
The whole explanation suggests that Horng was referring to the Series 7000 metal for the next iPhone. The current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus use a derivative of Series 6063 aluminum alloy, which is not very strong. Besides the stronger metal casing, the iPhone 6S will borrow Force Touch technology from Apple Watch. The iPhone 6S is expected to feature a 12-megapixel main camera, A9 processor, and the newest iOS 9 operating system.
