Reportedly, iPhone 17 series, including the new iPhone Air, has performed well in durability and scratch tests, but several customers and tech experts are reporting that their devices are picking up marks and scratches more easily than expected, revealed just weeks after the launch.
How Did This Happen?
This issue is specifically affecting the Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange and Space Black colourways of the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone Air as the scratches particularly visible around the sharp edges of the camera bump.
The scratches may be because the anodised aluminium layer on the iPhone 17 and the iPhone Pro Max “does not stick to corners very well,” said popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything, in a video.
Moving ahead, he said, “for some reason, Apple didn’t add a chamfer, fillet or radius around the camera plateau, and I think it was intentional, so it looks cooler. But that decision to look cool out of the box is going to plague everyone who owns this phone down the road.”
If you happen to keep your iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the same pocket with everyday items like coins or house or car keys then the metal can chip away at the coating around the camera island.
But, it appears that these items won’t most likely affect the flat rear panel.
This has started much earlier as when the iPhone 17 series went on sale last week, Bloomberg had reported that some of the display models in Apple retail stores already had some scratches on them.
The magnetic MagSafe charger may leave a fairly visible circular mark on the back panel of the iPhone 17 Pro models, stated the publication.
Scratches Are Not Permanent
In its defence, Apple said that these scratches aren’t permanent and can be cleaned.
The scratches were caused by the worn MagSafe stands that were used in some stores, said an Apple representative while commenting on the iPhone 17 Pro’s scratchgate controversy reportedly.
Moving ahead, Apple said that they aren’t actually scratches, but the material transfer from the stands to the phone and that they can be removed by cleaning.
The same issue also affected the iPhone 16 models claimed by Apple.
Coming to the marks on or near the camera bump, Apple says that the camera island’s edges have the same anodised aluminium finish as MacBooks and other iPhone models, but users may see normal wear and tear, like small abrasions over time.
The problem lies in the iPhone 17 Pro’s sharp camera bump, where the anodization process is uneven. Right now, the only way to prevent these scratches from appearing is to put on a case according to an online resource for repairing consumer electronics iFixit.
