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How easily does the space black/space gray paint come off?

D

DeepSix

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 4, 2022
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I need to ask this because I prefer space black over silver. And people are saying that the M4 space black color rubs off with just your fingers.

But People have also said that the midnight Air shows wear easily. But I've had my midnight air for over 3 months now and have had no issues with it and have no marks on it.

So just want to check with space black owners or owners who have M3 in space gray. Because if the space black is like the midnight for durability then I have no issue with it.

I think people exaggerated on the midnight paint issue because I have had zero issues.
 
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If you have managed the midnight for 3 months, why would you think the Space black would be any worse? Buy the space black if that your preference; it holds up just as well, if not better than the midnight Air
 
I had space grey since the 12“ MB and on 3 other MB pros. never had a problem
 
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emeka09 said:
If you have managed the midnight for 3 months, why would you think the Space black would be any worse? Buy the space black if that your preference; it holds up just as well, if not better than the midnight Air
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Just wanted to double check. I much prefer space black but many people online say that it marks up easily. Maybe soft paint? Honestly I don't see any fuss on the midnight Air, I have no marks on mine.
 
maerz001 said:
I had space grey since the 12“ MB and on 3 other MB pros. never had a problem
Click to expand...

Thanks good to hear this. Likely people just over exaggerating the issue. The palm rest color fading on the black does concern me though. Did you have issues with that on any of your units?
 
DeepSix said:
Thanks good to hear this. Likely people just over exaggerating the issue. The palm rest color fading on the black does concern me though. Did you have issues with that on any of your units?
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No problem at all. The same anodized aluminum body is used in ipads, iphones (non pro), airpods max as well. So you can get a feeling that it is well tested…
 
DeepSix said:
Thanks good to hear this. Likely people just over exaggerating the issue. The palm rest color fading on the black does concern me though. Did you have issues with that on any of your units?
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This is also my worry. I’m typing this on a space grey M1 Air with a sticker on the palm rests, because the colour does wear off. I hope the black is better (also it’s been four years).
 
navaira said:
This is also my worry. I’m typing this on a space grey M1 Air with a sticker on the palm rests, because the colour does wear off. I hope the black is better (also it’s been four years).
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Can you post a pic? I have a space grey M1 Air that's about 4 years old and other than the edges where I bang it up a bit, the color is still perfect.
 
navaira said:
This is also my worry. I’m typing this on a space grey M1 Air with a sticker on the palm rests, because the colour does wear off. I hope the black is better (also it’s been four years).
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I wanted the black but the palm rest discolouration was a concern for me. So I picked up M4 Pro in silver at Best Buy this morning. It looks better at home than at the store and the color is growing on me. But nice to have the peace of mind of the silver color being a lot less maintenance. I want to use the Pro without a case on it so I had more confidence in the silver holding up over time than the black.
 
dmr727 said:
Can you post a pic? I have a space grey M1 Air that's about 4 years old and other than the edges where I bang it up a bit, the color is still perfect.
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I’d have to remove the sticker, which I’ll be doing because once the M4 Pro arrives (Saturday, hopefully) I’ll be selling the M1 Air. Right now I can only post a picture of the stupid sticker peeling off around the trackpad ;)

DeepSix said:
I wanted the black but the palm rest discolouration was a concern for me. So I picked up M4 Pro in silver at Best Buy this morning. It looks better at home than at the store and the color is growing on me. But nice to have the peace of mind of the silver color being a lot less maintenance.
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I wanted the silver too for this reason, but Amazon only had the space black model on sale. I don't care what colour my laptop is as long as that colour isn’t coming off.
 
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navaira said:
I’d have to remove the sticker, which I’ll be doing because once the M4 Pro arrives (Saturday, hopefully) I’ll be selling the M1 Air. Right now I can only post a picture of the stupid sticker peeling off around the trackpad ;)



I wanted the silver too for this reason, but Amazon only had the space black model on sale. I don't care what colour my laptop is as long as that colour isn’t coming off.
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It's tough to say but this silver isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Looks quite sharp. The additional weight over the air is noticable but it's still very portable. The extra 0.6" screen is more noticable and nice to have. Doesn't feel as cramped as the Air 13.6 screen. A very impressive device. It better be for the price.
 
You can always dbrand the laptop. They have all sorts of slick skins.
 
callumrd1 said:
These aren't painted. They're anodized. It doesn't come off.
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It absolutely comes off.

This is my space black M3 Max 16" after 8 months of ownership:
https://imgur.com/a/Ot40zml

The finish will wear if you're wearing any jewelry, bracelets, etc and the finish will wear if you plug anything at all into the ports. It's bright silver underneath. I will be going silver next time I get a Mac.

That being said, I can't comment on palm rest discoloration outside of corners wearing. I think flat surface discoloration from skin contact is probably rare.
 
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fs454 said:
It absolutely comes off.

This is my space black M3 Max 16" after 8 months of ownership:
https://imgur.com/a/Ot40zml

The finish will wear if you're wearing any jewelry, bracelets, etc and the finish will wear if you plug anything at all into the ports. It's bright silver underneath. I will be going silver next time I get a Mac.

That being said, I can't comment on palm rest discoloration outside of corners wearing. I think flat surface discoloration from skin contact is probably rare.
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Okay that's not good at all. Im glad now that I got the silver for peace of mind.
 
DeepSix said:
Okay that's not good at all. Im glad now that I got the silver for peace of mind.
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It looks to me (and based on looking at my brand new space black MBP), it's how the light hits the edge. There is a very slight bevel on the edges, so they do appear shinier. Also, based on lighting, the top case appears blacker than the sides. As an example, this photo I took is pretty true to life. The shiny edges are not due to wear, just the nature of the finish.
IMG_2661.jpeg
 
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I think you will be alright; you just have to be a little more careful with wearing jewelry (watch bands, bracelets) as this will scratch off the anodized surface, leading to the silver underneath being exposed. I doubt it will wear with just skin contact. This will happen to Space Gray as well, it just shows more easily with the new Space Black.

I use this for my USB ports from Amazon.

USB-C Magnetic Adaptor

Saves from constantly wearing the USB-C port that connects to my external display.
 
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glindon said:
It looks to me (and based on looking at my brand new space black MBP), it's how the light hits the edge. There is a very slight bevel on the edges, so they do appear shinier. Also, based on lighting, the top case appears blacker than the sides. As an example, this photo I took is pretty true to life. The shiny edges are not due to wear, just the nature of the finish.View attachment 2455809
Click to expand...

Could use a strong jiffy marker to fix it?
 
FrankySavvy said:
I think you will be alright; you just have to be a little more careful with wearing jewelry (watch bands, bracelets) as this will scratch off the anodized surface, leading to the silver underneath being exposed. I doubt it will wear with just skin contact. This will happen to Space Gray as well, it just shows more easily with the new Space Black.

I use this for my USB ports from Amazon.

USB-C Magnetic Adaptor

Saves from constantly wearing the USB-C port that connects to my external display.
Click to expand...

I don't wear jellwery, only a smart watch with a silicon wrist strap.

Wow the the magnetic USB-C adaptor. I totally never thought of this but it makes sense to get one. No more having to stick my head up close to see the jack because I'm worried about scratching around the port. Thanks Im going to order one.
 
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2 years with the Midnight Air and 0 issues. I imagine it is just as susceptible as Space Black. No faded palm rests or anything of the sort anywhere. Very slight wear inside the ports, but you literally need a light to peer inside and see a faint amount of raw aluminum. Nothing peeling away outside, and I plug and unplug my Audio Interface daily. I will be purchasing a Space Black MBP without hesitation when I am ready for it. If you like the Space Black, go and get it and enjoy. I personally never want a silver Mac again. The darker Mac is more immersive, especially in darkened environments. I could care less if it “looks like a PC,” as I don’t associate with people of that mindset. Smudges and finger oils be damned, microfibre cloth to the rescue, and I have a cleaner computer as a result of wipe downs on a regular basis. Darth Vader style Macs any day, everyday!
 
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It's not paint the surface has been anodised- oxydised. It's probably something like 10microns thick (they aren't saying so it's an average).
It won't peel but you can wear through it and you can scratch it.
 
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I have a space grey M1 MBP and so far I have no scratches or chipping even around the edges of the ports. I do see a tiny glint of bare metal *inside* the port but I don't worry about that.

There is some slight variance of finish now on the palm rest area and where I commonly touch the lid to move around the MBP. I wash my hands often so it's not like I'm eating greasy food and then touching my computer.

I think the space black is fine and is the current color I would get if I were to buy one. Hopefully, Apple will offer some more compelling color options for their "pro" devices. Do people really feel or view others as less professional unless their equipment is either silver or black?
 
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