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AirTag scratches after 10 hours of use

TotalMacMove

TotalMacMove

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 18, 2013
1,190
1,833
USA
I unboxed my airtag 10 hours ago and have had it on my keychain while at home and it looks ROUGH! Wonder how these will look after 3 months?! I assume all the OEM apple engravings will be replaced with these scratches hahah. Not complaining, just wanted to post a picture for reference!
9F3F0C84-7071-4AF3-BD11-03B6491628A2.jpeg
 
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It's stainless steel. It will scratch. Remember old iPod touches with the stainless steel backs? Looks amazing when you first unboxed it. It'd quickly become a web of micro scratches. That is the nature of the material used.

Apple should have used some matte finish, but it's not a huuuuge issue. I mean, who cares if they scratch?
 
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Deliro said:
It's stainless steel. It will scratch. Remember old iPod touches with the stainless steel backs? Looks amazing when you first unboxed it. It'd quickly become a web of micro scratches. That is the nature of the material used.

Apple should have used some matte finish, but it's not a huuuuge issue. I mean, who cares if they scratch?
Click to expand...
Stainless steel looks great when it is scratched. They should not have used a matte finish.
 
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Mine scratched it seemed within minutes of getting it on the keychain, but I agree with the low cost of these and the fact it is on my keychain, it will get scratched.
 
I wouldn't care myself, but why this material? Just for the purpose of looking pretty when unboxed. Could have probably lowered the cost if it wasn't stainless steel.

But this is Apple, form before function, we know it all too well.
 
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Wonder if that buffing cloth (forget what it’s called) will work like it does on the SS Apple Watch to remove the micro scratches.
 
Itinj24 said:
Yes, that’s the one.
Click to expand...

Likely it would, but you'd have to buff this thing often as it pretty much scratches right away in a pocket, purse, wallet, etc..

Perhaps you could "skin it" by getting clear adhesive and trimming it to fit. But that doesn't seem very durable either.

I'm still awaiting my key holder, I plan to insert the airtag with the stainless facing in. May help, but I lose all that Apple flex!! ha ha. On a serious note, I want these things to be inconspicuous as possible. So for travel holders, they will also face in. I don't want to bring any more attention than necessary to my items.
 
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Deliro said:
Likely it would, but you'd have to buff this thing often as it pretty much scratches right away in a pocket, purse, wallet, etc..

Perhaps you could "skin it" by getting clear adhesive and trimming it to fit. But that doesn't seem very durable either.

I'm still awaiting my key holder, I plan to insert the airtag with the stainless facing in. May help, but I lose all that Apple flex!! ha ha. On a serious note, I want these things to be inconspicuous as possible. So for travel holders, they will also face in. I don't want to bring any more attention than necessary to my items.
Click to expand...
Yeah, true… Well me personally, I’m not really concerned with scratching these but there are some OCD Apple users out there that might find the Cape Cod cloth useful for their mental well being lol. Will the SS side be able to face in, considering it protrudes? I was assuming the the lip on the holder is used to keep them securely in with the SS facing out. Still awaiting my holders as well.
 
Don't have a holder yet but pretty sure I would just face the stainless side in and the white plastic out. Anyone know if that would fit properly?
 
Dbrands makes some skins for them. But they don’t have clear ones, saw some clear ones on Etsy might be the way to go if you wanna keep em looking fresh.
 
KittyKatta said:
Kinda funny how people are downplaying the aesthetics of scratches for a $30 product that they carry in a $40 product holder.

:D
Click to expand...
I think the holder is a downside of the design. Airtags are product meant to be attached to some item, without any mechanism for doing the attaching. Many people here have already commented they wish the airtags just had a hole in them from the factory. Nevertheless, there are already oodles of cheap air-tag holders on the interwebs for a few bucks, and soon will no doubt be more. We've also seen folks just plain adding velcro to them (brilliant idea if you ask me).

I ended up buying one leather Airtag holder for my keychain, because I like the look of the saddle leather for a keychain and it is nicer than my previous (remove before flight) tag. I bought one pink belkin holder for my dog's collar. I couldn't care less if the actual tag gets scratches in either case.
 
Deliro said:
It's stainless steel. It will scratch. Remember old iPod touches with the stainless steel backs? Looks amazing when you first unboxed it. It'd quickly become a web of micro scratches. That is the nature of the material used.
Click to expand...
OMG I used to buy scratch removing polish made for stainless steel iPods and rubbed and rubbed and polished for hours with zero success. I just gave up and let it go.
Deliro said:
Apple should have used some matte finish, but it's not a huuuuge issue. I mean, who cares if they scratch?
Click to expand...
I do wonder why the keychains don't have a soft plastic shield to protect the Airtag from scratches. I understand what you're saying about "who cares if they are scratched" but I would care if I just bought it and in less than a week the Airtag looks like the OP's. Like the OP said, how will it look after 3 months if it looks this bad in under a week.
I can understand the OP's position because Apple goes out of their way to make beautiful products (including the Airtags) so of course it's reasonable to want your new Apple product retain it's beauty at least for some time.
 
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Typical Apple, pioneering a new product category that caters to the $50 billion case industry.

Is there any Apple product that doesn't require a case?

Some product categories that it was normal not to use a case, Apple completely flipped them and it's making it normal to use one:

Watch
Remote
Phone
 
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