Other iPhone 17 Pro Scratchgate

[captrlp]

Scratchgate 17
We know it’s coming…so I figured I’d get the thread started so users have a place to post photos of and “complain” about scratches in the new…”for heat dissipation” aluminum frame of the 17 Pro series!!😉…
Who knows, maybe Timmy will see the thread in a few days😜 when it’s loaded with photos and feedback…and he’ll spend an extra $1.56 on the 18 Pro series and use SS or titanium again🤷‍♂️

 

[3Rock]

Check this out

 

[PhillyGuy72]

I use a case no matter what phone I get, always been the (um) case...no pun intended. So far, I've seen quite a few photos already of the Dark Blue scratching extremely easily...even along the long new "plateau" area (Wish they made that area in glass...oh well), one post on Twitter...I think this person dropped the Orange phone within 4-5 minutes of unboxing it and it literally looks like an orange peal scratch, chip on the corner. (smh, that has to be depressing!)

I expected this with the aluminum & the colors. If I get the 17 PM, I'll make sure to protect that Plateau camera bump area, the Plateau edges where the color may wear off in a short time. So..a full back covered case, covering that bump also - only the lens exposed and hope for the best.

I WAS leaning towards Dark Blue color, but not so sure now. I'd may go with Silver. This is a phone that I'd like to see last at least 3...maybe 4 years, just like my current 13 PM.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

There were already a few threads on this. Many reports of scratching out of Asia and on Apple Store models. We will see very soon how widespread this is.

 

[captrlp]

There were already a few threads on this. Many reports of scratching out of Asia and on Apple Store models. We will see very soon how widespread this is.

There are definitely reports and threads on SM platforms…figured just as well have a “central” spot on MR for users…especially those who purchase the dark blue, and to a lesser extent, the Cosmic Orange.

 

[Gsxr750]

Check this out

“that was not that strong of a smash”

Hit your hand with that 4lb mini sledge with the same velocity swing then tell me it was not that strong of a smash 😂

 

[decypher44]

Check this out

Omg, that was hilarious 😂

 

[Populus]

Yeah, we definitely have a scratchgate here. But the news only talk about the black Air and the dark blue Pro.

After viewing all the new iPhones’ rear under the Apple Store light, all of them presented scratches on the rear glass to some degree.

 

[johannnn]

It's not a gate, it's just aluminium. We've had aluminium phones for years.

 

[GregoriousMan]

Yeah, we definitely have a scratchgate here. But the news only talk about the black Air and the dark blue Pro.

After viewing all the new iPhones’ rear under the Apple Store light, all of them presented scratches on the rear glass to some degree.

My question is were those actually scratches on the back glass? That back glass is very tough and not susceptible to scratching. Shouldn't be very different than last year's back glass on the 16 Pros.

 

[Populus]

My question is were those actually scratches on the back glass? That back glass is very tough and not susceptible to scratching. Shouldn't be very different than last year's back glass on the 16 Pros.

I swear I never saw that type of scratches either in the iPhone 15 back or the iPhone 16 back. They were located in the MagSafe area, probably due to the repeated attachment and detachment to the MagSafe stand… but already present on the first day? Strange.

 

[ArchEtech]

HammerGate! It doesn't survive a 10' hammer drop!

Since when do anodized aluminum phones not scratch? I knew what I was ordering when I ordered an orange pro max, just like I knew what I was ordering when I ordered an anodized red color back when......I will admit that I would prefer a Ti edge to help with protection, but I knew exactly what I was buying which is why its in a case.

 

[MacManiac76]

“that was not that strong of a smash”

Hit your hand with that 4lb mini sledge with the same velocity swing then tell me it was not that strong of a smash 😂

Should have to use the knife the same way on his hand so we know how much force was really used for those scratches. 😂

 

[eckomania]

This is 100% Scratchgate and it’s not just about aluminum.

I went to the Apple Store last night at the end of day one and many the iPhone 17 Pros had scratches. But what was more shocking was not only was the black Air the worst color for scratches, they could be found on almost all the Air models as well including the white color.

I was genuinely shocked to see this.
It doesn’t even make sense that the black Air models look as bad as they are based on them being made out of titanium but seeing scratches on the white models is even more illogical.

I’ve owned a ton of iPhones and know that aluminum is a much softer material but something else is going on if similar issues are happening with the titanium Airs.

 

[3Rock]

I’m wondering how those scratches got on there at the store? Don’t people just pick up the phone and look at it with there soft hands, front and back? Or did they intentionally scratch them with something?

 

[CaféPicasso]

The scratches on the display models (I saw them, too, in person, at an apple store at launch day) are 99% related to the metal frame from the charging stand.

 

[captrlp]

This is not an aluminum problem. This is a coating problem. The issues that customers have experienced, and witnessed in-store, is not due to the hardness of aluminum, or lack thereof, as compared to SS or titanium.
This is a coating issue…period.
The shear number of photos that have been shared on MR or SM platforms are not of scratched aluminum…they are showing scratched and/or chipped coating…and have nothing to do with the hardness of the metal to which the coating is applied.

 

[Populus]

This is not an aluminum problem. This is a coating problem. The issues that customers have experienced, and witnessed in-store, is not due to the hardness of aluminum, or lack thereof, as compared to SS or titanium.
This is a coating issue…period.
The shear number of photos that have been shared on MR or SM platforms are not of scratched aluminum…they are showing scratched and/or chipped coating…and have nothing to do with the hardness of the metal to which the coating is applied.

Actually, all the scratches I’ve seen are on the rear glass itself, not the frame. And like @CaféPicasso said, it’s likely to be related to the MagSafe stand where they are put on and detached from. But again, previous years’ iPhones didn’t show this wear on the rear glass…

 

[Jovijoker]

I use a case no matter what phone I get, always been the (um) case...no pun intended. So far, I've seen quite a few photos already of the Dark Blue scratching extremely easily...even along the long new "plateau" area (Wish they made that area in glass...oh well), one post on Twitter...I think this person dropped the Orange phone within 4-5 minutes of unboxing it and it literally looks like an orange peal scratch, chip on the corner. (smh, that has to be depressing!)

I expected this with the aluminum & the colors. If I get the 17 PM, I'll make sure to protect that Plateau camera bump area, the Plateau edges where the color may wear off in a short time. So..a full back covered case, covering that bump also - only the lens exposed and hope for the best.

I WAS leaning towards Dark Blue color, but not so sure now. I'd may go with Silver. This is a phone that I'd like to see last at least 3...maybe 4 years, just like my current 13 PM.

I get you, but it should not be the point that you buy a case for paint chipping. Only really a case for when you drop it to stop smashing or stop it breaking!

 

[pst23]

The scratches on the display models (I saw them, too, in person, at an apple store at launch day) are 99% related to the metal frame from the charging stand.

People have the same marks when they are taking their personal devices home.

 

[magicschoolbus]

im enjoying my titanium phone

 

[usmaak]

I’m wondering how those scratches got on there at the store? Don’t people just pick up the phone and look at it with there soft hands, front and back? Or did they intentionally scratch them with something?

If I had to guess, I’d say that they are testing it to see how easily it will scratch.

 

[Apple_Robert]

There is no scratch gate. What is happening is a small vocal minority of iPhone users are obsessing over normal life events. Nothing new here, on Reddit, or elsewhere.

 

[Jeweller]

There is no scratch gate. What is happening is a small vocal minority of iPhone users are obsessing over normal life events. Nothing new here, on Reddit, or elsewhere.

I wish this were true, and it's what I assumed before I went to the Apple Store today. Almost every ceramic back panel of every model 17 had at least MagSafe charger ring scuffs if not visible scratches from being removed and placed back on their chargers. None of it outwardly appeared to be purposeful damage, ie customers testing the phones' durability. As has been mentioned, the darker models (blue PM, black Air) appeared to be the worse for wear but there were marks on most others, including the lighter shades of Airs. From what I saw, this seems like a Ceramic Shield issue specific to the rear panels only. I did not notice any scratches on the aluminum frames of the 17 pros, just a little discoloration on the antenna bands beneath the camera plateaus where they were coming into contact with the top of the chargers as folks slid them back on. Chalk it up to a bad batch maybe? In any case, how these got past QC is beyond me.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I wish this were true, and it's what I assumed before I went to the Apple Store today. Almost every ceramic back panel of every model 17 had at least MagSafe charger ring scuffs if not visible scratches from being removed and placed back on their chargers. None of it outwardly appeared to be purposeful damage, ie customers testing the phones' durability. As has been mentioned, the darker models (blue PM, black Air) appeared to be the worse for wear but there were marks on most others, including the lighter shades of Airs. From what I saw, this seems like a Ceramic Shield issue specific to the rear panels only. I did not notice any scratches on the aluminum frames of the 17 pros, just a little discoloration on the antenna bands beneath the camera plateaus where they were coming into contact with the top of the chargers as folks slid them back on. Chalk it up to a bad batch maybe? In any case, how these got past QC is beyond me.

Th obsession over scratches with different colors happens every year with the vocal minority. There has yet to be a legitimate manufacturing defect with the anodizing process.

The MagSafe products have produced rings and the like since they were first introduced. Again, that doesn't show a manufacturing defect with the color itself.