Rumor: iPhone 5 to use 'liquid metal' casing

Apple's next iPhone might be housed in a little-known hi-tech alloy known as "liquid metal" \u2014 tough, light, scratch-resistant, and smooth as glass to the touch \u2014 at least according to a report from Korea's IT News in April 2012.

The speculation had a plausible foundation. Apple had signed an exclusive licensing deal with Liquidmetal Technologies back in August 2010, giving it rights to the company's amorphous metal alloys for consumer electronics. The alloy \u2014 a mix of titanium, nickel, copper, and zirconium \u2014 can be shaped with a process similar to plastic injection molding, which fans speculated could give the new handset a rounder, more organic shape. Korean IT News reported that Apple planned to use the material in the iPhone 5 and predicted a June launch at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

It didn't happen. The iPhone 5 launched in September 2012 \u2014 not June, not delayed until October as some analysts feared \u2014 in a conventional aluminum unibody. Liquidmetal's grand iPhone moment never arrived; Apple's use of the alloy remained limited to small parts like the SIM ejector tool.

The episode became a classic specimen of Apple rumor culture: a real patent filing or licensing deal, extrapolated by the tech press into a flagship product, with concept renders (MacRumors' and Ciccarese Design's mocked-up handsets were among the most shared) filling the gap between evidence and wishful thinking.

This item was updated during our 2026 editorial audit to replace the original truncated wire copy and reflect what actually happened.

Apple's new iPhone 5 could be housed in a little-known hi-tech alloy known as 'liquid metal' - which feels like glass to the touch.

The alloy, a mix of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium among other metals, is tough, light and scratch resistant, and said to feel as smooth as glass.

But analysts fear that shortages of hi-tech components could mean the device is delayed until October.

A concept of what the new handset might look like designed for MacRumors: Apple's new iPhone 5 could be housed in a little-known hi-tech alloy known as 'liquid metal' - which feels like glass to the touch

Ciccarese Design's 'concept' iPhone 5: The material can be shaped in a process similar to the 'injection moulding', used for plastic which could lead to a rounder, more organic shape for the new handset The material can be shaped in a process similar to the 'injection moulding', used for plastic which could lead to a rounder, more organic shape for the new handset.

The leak was reported in Korean IT News, which said, 'In the meantime, iPhone5 is likely to take liquid metal, an alloy of zirconium, titanium, nickel, copper and so forth having an outer surface smooth like liquid.'

Korean IT News predicted that the handset would launch in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. The design is not finalised - the images here are concept designs made by