Was attracted to midnight at first but the color rubbing off like around the ports is a turnoff

[mi7chy]

Seems like silver which is what I have now is still the safer bet although old and boring.

Right click on image and open in new tab to see expanded view.

 

[headlessmike]

My next MacBook will be silver for the same reason. I have a space gray MacBook Pro and every little knick leaves a bright silver spot. It doesn't bother me that much, but I've realised that the silver one looks better for longer. I still find the blue and gold airs tempting though.

 

[harleymhs]

And u get a fingerprint Magnet for FREE with Midnight..

 

[NorrisKillsKids]

meh I’ve had space greys for everything and it would behave similarly but never has. This is on a show floor and has been manhandled by hundreds of people at least.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I heard mkbhd say it’s a fingerprint magnet but I still really want it.

 

[jav6454]

Seems like silver which is what I have now is still the safer bet although old and boring.

Right click on image and open in new tab to see expanded view.
View attachment 2016507

Wait until the official reviews are out for your decision. That was a demo unit and very likely went thru several hands.

 

[DHagan4755]

Wait until the official reviews are out for your decision. That was a demo unit and very likely went thru several hands.

The pre-production units & how they were manhandled at WWDC should be indicative of how it will hold up, don't you think? The extent of chipping issue around the ports is highly subjective.

 

[jav6454]

The pre-production units & how they were manhandled at WWDC should be indicative of how it will hold up, don't you think? The extent of chipping issue around the ports is highly subjective.

View attachment 2018359

Not quite. People in WWDC area didn't handle them with "care", they were just there to see and play with the devices. Although, if that fragility may be a small sneak peak into what is in store for potential buyers.

 

[DHagan4755]

Well this is where we disagree. And that’s okay. It’s not personal. Just friendly.

The ports looked similarly on my space gray MacBook Pro from back in the day. It’s not affecting the robustness of the enclosure; it’s purely a cosmetic issue. I chalk this up to the anodizing process & I’m not sure it’s avoidable. It’s minor to the extreme. On the other hand, if there were noticeable nicks on the display lid or keyboard deck where we could see through to the silver, you’d have a stronger case. But there are no photos that show that. I doubt it will happen unless you’re extremely careless & go out of your way to slide your MacBook on jagged, rough surfaces or with sharp objects like keys or scissors.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I really want the midnight. This fingerprint talk kind of a bummer. I think space grey still looks good personally and it barely shows anything unless you are the type to allow routine chips and scrapes. Will be tough between the two, the sensible (Space Grey or Silver) or the risky and sexy (Midnight). Am finally ready to upgrade my 2017 Pro and want to pre-order but might have to see in person. Even the video reviews don't show it that well.

 

[Chips & Salsa]

I’m thinking of the midnight option but I’m wondering if every little spec of dust or debris is going to be magnified against the navy color. And now with the peeling/ rubbing off issue, I think I might choose the starlight option.

 

[MajorFubar]

Why would it be any different in terms of durability compared to the current space grey or gold models? I haven't seen threads or news articles with furious owners complaining the anodising is all flaking off their laptops, and the internet being the internet, it would be all over everywhere like Flexgate and Butterflygate

 

[Dealmans]

No one has it yet lol

 

[DHagan4755]

I haven't seen threads or news articles with furious owners complaining the anodising is all flaking off their laptops

That's because the anodizing doesn't flake off. There's either a penetrable scratch that goes through the anodized surface showing the bare aluminum underneath —or— it fades.

 

[MajorFubar]

That's because the anodizing doesn't flake off. There's either a penetrable scratch that goes through the anodized surface showing the bare aluminum underneath —or— it fades.

So pardon my genuine ignorance but is this coloured using a different process which makes it liable to 'flake'?

 

[DHagan4755]

So pardon my genuine ignorance but is this coloured using a different process which makes it liable to 'flake'?

For lack of a better way of putting it, the coloring of aluminum involves making the aluminum rust. The colors are a die that's added during this process.

 

[MajorFubar]

For lack of a better way of putting it, the coloring of aluminum involves making the aluminum rust. The colors are a die that's added during this process.

Thanks for explaining. So is if this new colour is added just the same way as space grey or gold, shouldn't it be just as resistant as those colours? Why are some people stressing that it will mark easier? I guess that's the crux of my whole question, with 100% confession that this is way beyond my knowledge.

 

[Eggtastic]

The pre-production units & how they were manhandled at WWDC should be indicative of how it will hold up, don't you think? The extent of chipping issue around the ports is highly subjective.

View attachment 2018359

This photo makes it look like matte black than the "midnight" blue.

 

[fisherking]

am waiting until it's available, and will see what people report. i want the midnight one, but don't want to spend half my time wiping down fingerprints... but want the midnight. am so confused... 🤪

 

[MTD's Mac]

Someone might have made this connection before, but who else had a "black and slate" iPhone 5? The dark blue anodized color quickly picked up silver chips and it was all over the forums. The next year Apple replaced it with the first Space Grey iteration.

Though, I hope this comparison is irrelevant and anodizing technology has advanced a bit in the last 10 years.

 

[DHagan4755]

This photo makes it look like matte black than the "midnight" blue.

It does. To me, "midnight" is reminiscent of the Lenovo Chromebook C630 which looked mostly black with a hint of navy under certain light.

 

[jags828]

This photo makes it look like matte black than the "midnight" blue.

The  WATCH series 7 is available in Midnight, so is the iPhone 13. I have the watch, in most lighting it looks matte black. In some lighting it has a slight blue sheen to it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

This kind of thing happens with all models. I also think it is very weird that so many around here obsess over fingerprints on a Mac.

 

[Spock]

So pardon my genuine ignorance but is this coloured using a different process which makes it liable to 'flake'?

I think they learned a lesson from the titanium PowerBook G4...

 

[fuchsdh]

So pardon my genuine ignorance but is this coloured using a different process which makes it liable to 'flake'?

It's not really (as far as we know) about being more liable to be damaged compared to other anodized colors, it's just that the darker the color the more contrast there is with the (lighter-colored) bare aluminum. So the same amount of scratches or whatnot would just "show" more.

But really all this handwringing about it showing fingerprints and the like is really weird to me. It's not like we haven't had black and white electronics for years at this point and know the drawbacks with each.

To me I've never much cared about "durability" concerns just because I clearly am in the minority in terms of handling electronics. I've never so much as destroyed a Lightning cable or MagSafe connector, I'm not concerned about my metal laptop.