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Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

What I can't believe is that it seems that nobody at Apple thought about this. Everybody knows how important the first impression is. A company known for putting a lot of effort in any kind of product presentation slaps their brand new devices on these chargers..?
I was in store on launch day 30 MINUTES after opening and scratches on every black Air.
 
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Sammy in SoCal said:
Yeah, I’m not into all this scratch gate hype and as someone said earlier you have to temp your expectations on a device looking brand new months and years from now if you decide to stay case-less. But people who are conscientious and put their phones in empty pockets or set it down on nonabrasive surfaces even when case-less could still have a newish looking device even long-term.

So having said that, I think I might exchange my silver for the cosmic orange before my 14 days is up. Comment if you have the orange with no regrets.
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I agree with what you said, but the issue here is that it’s happening in days, not months or years. What I’ve seen from regular users’ pics on other social media is that the color is being scratched off down to the silver aluminum around the camera bump. The one I believe I recall most was the orange model, but the dark blue was bad too. Aluminum is just a softer metal vs the previous titanium, to me this was bound to happen without a case.

I’ve always been one to do Day 1 upgrades on my iPhone since the 3G model, but didn’t with the iPhone 16 Pro due to lack of features, and similarly to the 17 Pro for the same reason plus the loss of titanium in favor of aluminum. I’m still on a 15 Pro hoping this scratching issue will bring back titanium (or anything of similar hardness) to the 18 Pro. I believe I can hold out one more year 😂
 
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dannyyankou said:
But this means anyone who puts their iPhone on a MagSafe stand like this one will receive scratches.

And lol at “material transfer”. I looked at these iPhones yesterday at a store, and tried to rub out the scratches on one phone. Nothing happened. They’re scratches. And I use an old MagSafe stand without a case. I never have any material transfer.

I just know for iPhone 18 they’ll bring Ceramic Shield 2 to the back glass and call it a “feature”.
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Isn't this Ceramic Shield 2 now?
 
dannyyankou said:
But this means anyone who puts their iPhone on a MagSafe stand like this one will receive scratches.

And lol at “material transfer”. I looked at these iPhones yesterday at a store, and tried to rub out the scratches on one phone. Nothing happened. They’re scratches. And I use an old MagSafe stand without a case. I never have any material transfer.

I just know for iPhone 18 they’ll bring Ceramic Shield 2 to the back glass and call it a “feature”.
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Agreed. Here are pictures from the Apple Store on literal Day 1 of launch:
IMG_0202.jpeg

IMG_0192.jpeg
 
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digimc said:
The Cosmic Orange doesn't look as bad. Seems that Blue color is the worse for wear. But yeah you can clearly see the imprint left by the MagSafe charger.
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Yes. You can definitely see the circular imprints left by the MagSafe charger. Those look like they might be able to be wiped or rubbed off. But you can also see horizontal, straight scratches too. And those just look like fine gouges in the aluminum/glass back, not a rubber residue left over from the MagSafe charger. Apple is lying - or at best, just responding to the circular imprints but conveniently ignoring the ACTUAL scratches.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
All you do is laugh at my posts and stick to your talking points no matter what is said. I am not wasting my time.
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I was just asking for where this was an issue in the past like you said it was.

Here watch this commercial where debris attacks the ultimate pro phone. And we’re just supposed to accept scratches on the “ultimate pro”? Riiiiiggghhhtt

 
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thomasdangit said:
Yes. You can definitely see the circular imprints left by the MagSafe charger. Those look like they might be able to be wiped or rubbed off. But you can also see horizontal, straight scratches too. And those just look like fine gouges in the aluminum/glass back, not a rubber residue left over from the MagSafe charger. Apple is lying - or at best, just responding to the circular imprints but conveniently ignoring the ACTUAL scratches.
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Yeah that's what I thought also. In another thread I mentioned that there are clearly scratches outside of the area where the MagSafe charger would be connected. I am not sure how easy it is to make these scratches, because I am patiently waiting for Apple to deliver my iPhone, but I would gather from most of the reports that we have seen online so far that this iPhone 17 Pro is more susceptible to scratches than previous models.

I hope Apple will listen to these complaints and make the next iPhone models less susceptible to scratches.
 
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m4mario said:
The good thing from this is that Apple will come up with a new Aluminium Alloy / Coating / manufacturing process.

We had bend gate and that has resulted in the iPhone Air having insane durability.
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We already had the iPhone 5 which had a very similar problem: the coating would chip/scratch off the aluminium over time.

I guess the engineers who solved it back then are no longer at Apple, and those who don't remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them?
 
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