Ever since the first rumors of Apple adopting titanium for the iPhone 15 Pro emerged, there have been predictions of Samsung following suit with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It’s been a wild ride though, at points coming to every member of the S24 family and then not.
Now, we’re pretty much back where we started, with just the S24 Ultra getting it, but in the long run it may not stop there, according to a new report in Korean publication The Elec.
The piece confirms that the “frame case” will switch from aluminum to titanium when it appears next year, with the metal alloy being processed by a Chinese company called Solomon.
The report claims that around 15 million titanium cases are in the works — around the number of S24 Ultra units the company expects to shift. The site adds that a low yield could increase the component cost by four to five times its current $20 price tag, which means it’s not exactly a risk-free move. While Samsung could try and pass any price increase onto the buyer, there’s no guarantee that consumers will bite.
That’s probably why Samsung’s plans to expand the use of titanium are only tentative at this point. The site’s sources say that while the Ultra model will be the first “in the series” to adopt titanium, the company “plans to expand the application depending on reception”.
That could mean the Samsung Galaxy S25 range in 2025, or perhaps even future foldables, where added toughness would be a big advantage if the weight could be controlled (though next year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 seem too early).
The report adds that research and development of titanium have been in the works for two years, but that the “decision to commercialize the technology only came recently”.
It seems likely that Samsung doesn’t want to leave Apple with something to crow about, even though adoption for the Galaxy range has fewer clear benefits than it does on iPhone. While Pro iPhones before the 15 used hefty stainless steel cases, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a lighter aluminum one. While it’ll still benefit from added toughness, it’s not quite such an obvious home run as it is for Apple, in other words.
We still have a few months before we get to see Samsung’s new flagship phones. A report yesterday stated that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S24 range at an event in San Francisco on January 17, which would suggest a release date of Friday, February 2.
The phones will use Qualcomm’s latest AI-enabled Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in most regions, with the S24 Ultra likely leaning on this for a clever new video feature that Samsung has been teasing.
