Overview
- Several outlets on Tuesday reported a Weibo leaker saying Apple has chosen an amorphous “liquid metal” alloy for the iPhone Ultra hinge and has shipped prototype units to global carriers for testing.
- Liquid metal is an amorphous alloy that offers higher strength, corrosion resistance and elastic recovery than conventional metals, and Apple has held licenses and patents for the material since 2010.
- That positive account conflicts with earlier leaks that described hinge durability failures and separate reports pointing to PCB/SMT yield problems, leaving quality and manufacturing bottlenecks unresolved.
- Other reported hardware details include vapor‑chamber cooling, a large 7.8‑inch inner display with a 5.5‑inch cover screen, an A20 chip, Touch ID instead of Face ID, a large battery and a likely premium price near $2,000.
- Carrier testing is a sign of hardware maturity but unresolved yield and reliability reports mean mass production timing and a September launch remain uncertain, so watch for carrier confirmations and further supply‑chain updates.