Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

[MacRumors]

As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed.

French blog Consomac also reported on this topic.

The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black.

Images Credit: Consomac​

It is unclear how common this is, or how these devices were handled.

iPhone 17 Pro models feature an aluminum unibody, with a glass-like Ceramic Shield area on the back of the devices, while iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame with a glass back. Titanium and glass are stronger/harder than aluminum, so it is understandable that iPhone 17 Pro models may be more prone to scratching.

As for the iPhone Air, it features a titanium frame with a glass-like Ceramic Shield back, but evidently some scratches are still visible on the Space Black finish.

Of course, some customers visiting an Apple Store are not as careful with iPhone display models as they would be with their personal iPhone, so this is not necessarily a huge problem. But, it is a good reminder to be especially careful.

Article Link: Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

 

[MayaUser]

Customers put to the test Apple quotes about iPhones durability

 

[peanutbutter47]

Can confirm. Went to the store and the brand new display units were not looking new.

 

[Rychiar]

Go figure. I learned with the watches, buy silver

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Can confirm. Went to the store and the brand new display units were not looking new.

The same day? That's nuts

 

[bellnen]

After one day? Multiple units not one? Seems really weird 😐
Not really Pro like!

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Was it the case with the black pros in all previous years ? I don't remember it being that bad

 

[definitive]

It is unclear how common this is, or how these devices were handled.

Probably effects every unit, but Apple will downplay it like they did with antenna-gate.

 

[BigJohno]

Shocker... Aluminum scratches..

 

[goonie4life9]

I guess the Ceramic Shield doesn't hold-up so well....

 

[tenjikuronin]

You're holding it wrong 🙃

 

[840quadra]

This would be concerning to me if I had one. The 16 Pro I have has no such scratches on the back glass and I do not use a case.

I have a bit of wear at the coating of the titanium on the underside where the phone rests on my Kick-stand wallet, but that is the only appreciable wear besides a small scratch near the action button due to my dropping the phone once.

 

[Blackstick]

You’re scratching it wrong.

 

[jz0309]

Anything metal scratches if you really want to...

 

[iObama]

SCRATCHGATE

lol

 

[Pixelspeeper]

Damn,  broke my heart for not including a Black 17 Pro Iphone, Silver was my option, I went to my local store and the silver PM was already out of stock, I ended up with deep blue, that's fine.

 

[TwoBytes]

scratch gate

 

[outlawarth]

Unapologetically aluminium.

 

[andrewxgx]

if that black one scratches come just from putting it on charger for couple days, apple gonna have a bad time selling those

 

[Slix]

This is giving me Slate iPhone 5 flashbacks.

 

[xraydoc]

I get the feeling that I should just hold off upgrading this cycle even though I don't want to.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Are we sure these are actual scratches and not the metal residue, ie keys rubbing off? Because I don't see how the glass backs from the iphone pro and the air would scratch like that? None have in the past.

 

[marinersaptcomplex]

It’s not just the aluminum, this was my concern with Ceramic Shield being on the back glass now. Even if it’s “more scratch resistant” than the previous Ceramic Shield, to make glass more shatterproof, you need to make it softer, resulting in something that scratches easier than non-CS glass.

 

[Johnny907]

Shocker... Aluminum scratches..

Except on both phones shown, it's the "ceramic shield" covering the MagSafe coil that is scratched, NOT the aluminum frame.
Looks like whatever they have coated it with flakes like a mother humper. I don't care since mine go immediately into a case anyway, but this isn't a great look for Apple's wear and tear testing standards.

 

[rlewisphilly]

Customers put to the test Apple quotes about iPhones durability

It amazes me how people can scratch a phone that badly when they've only had it for a few hours...