3G signal passes through titanium without a hiccup

Feb 25, 2010 11:00 GMT  ·  By

Why not? Apple has done away with aluminum for the 3G an 3GS iPhones only because this particular metal doesn’t allow the 3G signal to pass through it. Titanium, on the other hand, does, as shown in a video by Engadget reader Martin Schrotz. The guy used a milling machine to craft a titanium back cover for his iPhone 3GS, complete with carved Apple logo and appealing finish.

The first generation iPhone, also referred to as iPhone 2G, doesn’t work on 3G networks, unlike Apple’s newer iPhones, the 3G and 3GS models. However, for 3G signal to pass through the iPhone’s case, Apple was forced to lose the aluminum, and go with a less-interfering material - plastic. Many believe it’s high time Apple rolled out the next revision to the iPhone. If they’re right, Apple cannot release a third iPhone model that looks exactly like its predecessors (the 2G, 3G and 3GS models). So why not go for titanium, this time around?

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, corrosion-resistant transition metal. Featuring a silver-ish appearance, it is also referred to as the “space age metal”. It has two, highly useful properties: corrosion resistance, and an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio - the highest of all metals, actually. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong steel, yet 45% lighter. The non-magnetic metal is a poor conductor of heat and electricity. Such properties generally suggest little attenuation to radio waves as well, 3G signals being just that.

Needless to point out, there are a few drawbacks to using Titanium to make the next iPhone’s shell, the biggest of which is costs. Leaving aside that the metal itself is expensive, its hardness would require more powerful machines, perhaps even newer technology, to craft the cases. Currently, Apple is still soft on aluminum (pun intended), using it in almost all of its products, including the upcoming iPad. The company is not showing any signs of “attenuation” to this trend.