Summary
- Apple blames in-store marks on “material transfer” from worn MagSafe stands; says cleaning removes them.
- The camera plateau’s sharp anodized edges can chip, exposing raw aluminum and causing real damage.
- Apple defends the anodized design as tested and durable but admits normal wear; users want fixes in future models.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, it looks like the iPhone 17 Pro’s unibody aluminum design is, like, really prone to scratches. Like, a lot. Apple, for its part, seems to just be playing off concerns.
Apple has clarified the nature of the marks seen on in-store units. The company stated that after an internal investigation, it determined the imperfections are not scratches in the phone’s finish. Instead, they are the result of “material transfer” from worn MagSafe display stands used in some retail environments. According to Apple, the protective coating on these stands can wear down over time, causing material to rub off onto the phones they are attached to. The company asserts that these marks can be removed by cleaning the device and that other iPhone models, including the iPhone 16, have also been affected by the same issue. Apple is reportedly taking steps to resolve the problem at the store level, which likely involves replacing the worn stands.
That might be part of the problem, but it’s not the whole story. As we covered earlier, the sharp, raised edges of the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera plateau are particularly susceptible to damage. Tests show that the anodized coating on these corners could flake or chip away with relative ease, exposing the raw aluminum underneath.
Responding to this finding, Apple explained that the camera edges on the iPhone 17 Pro share similar design and material characteristics with the anodized aluminum edges found on many of its other products, including various MacBook models and previous iPhones. The company insists that the design is durable and has passed its extensive internal testing protocols. However, Apple also acknowledged that, like any product with such edges, users may observe signs of “normal wear and tear” over the lifespan of the device, which could include minor abrasions.
For some people, it might seem like Apple is trying to play off the problem. And I do understand that perspective. If more user complaints start pouring in, it might be enough for Apple to actually look into it. It won’t fix it this generation, but it could either make design choices or a different aluminum treatment for the iPhone 18 Pro (if it’s still an aluminum unibody) so it’s actually more decent.
- SoC
-
A19 Pro chip
- Display
-
6.3-inches
- Storage
-
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
- Ports
-
USB-C
- Operating System
-
iOS
- Colors
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Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is the company’s most powerful smartphone to date, offering impressive cameras and the A19 Pro chip. It lets you do practically anything, including shooting quality videos.
- SoC
-
A19 Pro chip
- Display
-
6.9-inches
- Storage
-
256GB, 526GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Battery
-
Up to 39 hours of video playback
- Ports
-
USB-C
- Operating System
-
iOS
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has many of the same specs as the iPhone 17 Pro, but you get a larger screen and up to 2TB of storage.
Source: 9to5Mac