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

[Reason077]

Wow, this is like my Space Grey iPhone 5 all over again!!

On that phone, much of the space grey coating eventually scratched/wore off around the edges and corners.

 

[adambadamh]

I was able to replicate this exceptionally easily at the store. Issue seemed to be the metal around the magnetic stands. For the most part they wiped right off though.

 

[Moonlight]

Yeah, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d go running to Google’s “suck up all the PII” OS.

However, having experienced Apple’s aluminum phones before with all the durability of a soda can, I’m definitely not pleased with their design decisions on the “pro” phone. I actually trust Ceramic Shield 1 on the back glass and 2 on the front. But I absolutely expect dents, dings, dust abrasions from a case, and screen delaminating from the body as has been personally experienced on Apple’s aluminum phones in previous generations of aluminum phones compared to Steel and Titanium.

Sure, physics. Aluminum offers better heat dissipation. Also physics: less durability. It’s just the way it is. Scream “but muh aerospace grade alloy” all you like, Apple’s aluminum phones aren’t as damage-hardened as their Steel and Titanium phones.

I agree with you on physics. You can't disagree with physics. But, My iPhone 12 is Aluminum and glass and it still looks almost new, 5 years on, all without ever wearing a case.

 

[Aquaporin]

Is this the first year you’re watching a new iPhone release?
You are aware that we have this so called whatever-gates with scratches, heat, cracks and whatever, every single year…
If you therefore avoided buying iPhones, ok fine. But buying an iPhone and the past and now comparing over and over again over internet content crawl bs is just dumb.

Yep.. I've been a member of Macrumors since 05, but this was the first iPhone release I've ever followed.

...
LMAO

 

[Moonlight]

It’s like this every year
I think it’s funny.

Yes it is, every year...gets less and less funny.

 

[jayducharme]

It's interesting: I just checked my 17 Pro for the heck of it. While I was in the Apple Store setting it up, I placed it on one of the MagSafe charging stands because it was less than half charged. So I just took it out of its case and looked at the back. There was a very faint ring where it was attached to the charger. I rubbed it with a microfiber cloth and the ring disappeared. Thankfully there were no scratches. But while I was in the store, customers were randomly taking iPhones off their chargers and fiddling with them, then slapping them haphazardly back onto the charging stands. Even so, this doesn't bode well for Apple's claim of the phones being the toughest they've made.

 

[bigandtasty]

These images have the scratches on the glass. I know we saw a few years ago that taking your keys to the frosted glass would leave lines of residue. Is this that, or is the anodized aluminum actually scratching off to show the raw material under it?

Because of if it's on the glass then yeah, it's going to "show more prominent on darker finishes" if the surface that is being rubbed against (e.g. keys) comes off on the device.

I'm definitely curious how this plays out as my Deep Blue iPhone 17 Pro arrives today, but I'm also careful not to just jump on the rage-bait.

Probably not an issue with your iPhone. After the intro video of rocks and debris being thrown at the iPhone Pro, with zero damage, your phone should be ready for drop city with zero damage just like the video. I wouldn't worry, probably only a problem with display iPhones. You're GOOD.

 

[Rigby]

However, having experienced Apple’s aluminum phones before with all the durability of a soda can, I’m definitely not pleased with their design decisions on the “pro” phone.

I've had aluminum iPhones since Apple started making them (with the 5, I believe?) and never had a problem even though I don't use cases. Sure, I had some scuffs and small scratches over the years, but apart from that they have all been pretty robust. In my mind steel is the worst material for a phone due to its weight.

I actually trust Ceramic Shield 1 on the back glass and 2 on the front.

But that seems to be exactly what causes problems this time on the Pro and Air. It appears to be related not to the material itself but to the way Apple applies the colors.

 

[smorrissey]

I was able to replicate this exceptionally easily at the store. Issue seemed to be the metal around the magnetic stands. For the most part they wiped right off though.

I'd say yes for the iphone 17 basic (black), some saliva removed the mark, for the pros marks were permanent.

 

[scrapesleon]

the regular iPhone 17 looking more compelling

 

[Taq'aix]

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

Yeah me too. I really want to ungrade. The specs are great. But really dislike the colors and the lack of glass back. I could go for the silver but I don’t like silver colored iPhones. I don’t care much about the aluminum but the colors? Come on.. Apple.

 

[sleeptodream]

I agree with you on physics. You can't disagree with physics. But, My iPhone 12 is Aluminum and glass and it still looks almost new, 5 years on, all without ever wearing a case.

Yeah, I have multiple colored aluminum iPhones that look perfect, including a black 7, blue XR, and yellow 14, whereas my stainless steel 14 pro max in purple ended up with all kinds of chips ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Aluminum oxide is very very hard and in my experience resists scratches really well. It does get dinged up if you drop it without a case, but no phone is going to survive that without some sort of scar.

I just really hope the ceramic shield backs don’t scratch this easily, I can’t imagine they’d go to something substantially worse

 

[imlynxy]

Scratch test from Wilsacom, he unboxed MacBook M4 4 dats before the official announcement , please turn on English audio track :

Drop and bend test:

He is not paid or affiliated with Apple since he is in Russia.


BTW they showed on the video that thermal vapor chamber is very tiny and not as huge as it was shown on the presentation.

 

[jz0309]

after setting up my 17PM I checked several phones in the store for scratches - didn't see any

 

[klasma]

Was it the case with the black pros in all previous years ?

No, it was the black Pros without the case.

 

[MTShipp]

Someone releasing a back panel scratch resistant protector is 3…2…1

I have the clear case on my 17PM Blue but it does not protect the finish around the camera lenses. Mine already has a small scuff

 

[digimc]

So not one person at Apple bothered to test the Ceramic Shield. Not one person. In the, I'm guessing more than a year this iPhone was in production, not a single person at Apple thought it might be a good idea to see how well the Ceramic Shield held up. Holy crap! People used to get fired for incompetence like that.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

Was wondering what this year’s iPhone nontroversy was gonna be

 

[Adam Henry]

color my surprised. i thought it would be a bend issue this go around and not a scratch issue.

 

[brooklyn360]

I just went to the stores and they are all scratched. The solution, don’t use a metal magnetic charger. The ones at the store might be a little old but they are scratching the bottom of the camera bump. The blue pro max and the Air are getting easily scratched on the back panels.

 

[aParkerMusic]

Base iPhone 17 gang stand up

And that phones outer rim is made of….aluminum. I don’t recall a scandal about those phones getting dinged up. I bet there is some intentional damaging going on. You’d have to be pretty rough on a device for it to look like that on day one, sorry.

 

[einsteinbqat]

does this happen with the orange?

 

[smorrissey]

does this happen with the orange?

with a metal magnetic charger on store yes.

 

[wib]

As a former Apple Retail employee I can tell you from first hand knowledge that certain people come into the store with the express purpose of scratching phones and accessories as an ad-hoc durability test, but I'm not sure this is the best way to go about it. Damaging an item purposely is not an accurate reflection of day-to-day wear. In the past, iPhone cases were the biggest examples. Especially, the fine woven cases. I cannot tell you how many demo units we had to replace, almost on a daily basis, because of scratches and damage. *I no longer have any skin in the game here and plan to hold on to my iPhone 13 mini until they pry it from my cold dead hands. Cheers.

That's horrifying that people deliberately and willfully try to damage phones like that! It's a shame a system similar to glass and ceramic shops of 'Break it, you buy it' couldn't be implemented. People might think twice about having to pay full price for a scratched up phone that wouldn't be covered by AppleCare as it was self-inflicted and on camera...

 

[einsteinbqat]

with a metal magnetic charger on store yes.

Thanks