Before we pass along the explanation from Apple, let's look at the latest in a string of issues that brought some notoriety to the tech giant going back to 2010's #antennagate. Apple has brought back an aluminum build on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The deep blue models show the scratches and scuffing while the same issue has surfaced for the black iPhone Air. Sales of the new models are off to a great start, and the iPhone Air seems to have given the entire iPhone 17 lineup a short in the arm.
Will you get a case for your iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, or iPhone Air?
Yes. I don't like how the scratches look.
79.34%
No. Scratches add personality to the phone.
20.66%
Apple is saying that the scratches aren't really scratches at all and says that the warn MagSafe risers, used in Apple Stores to display iPhone units, cause material from the risers to transfer to impacted iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air units. Apple says that older iPhone 16 models are also being affected the same way as the new models. If what appear to be scratches show up on your new iPhone, Apple says that all you need to do is clean the affected area to get the material off of the device.
Scratches can be seen on demo iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro units from an Apple Store. | Image credit-The Apple Post
Interestingly, Zach Nelson from JerryRigsEverything, points out on his iPhone 17 Pro video that the aluminum oxide coating used by Apple does not stick to the sharp edge of the camera bump well. Nelson does a good job explaining how exposure to coins and keys can scratch the sharp corners of the raised camera bar on the back of the devices. The scratching looks worse on the blue model. Zach also points out that there are international standards for anodizing sharp corners but even if Apple failed to follow these standards, the company did not break the law.
This issue is purely cosmetic
If you run into issues with the scratches or, as Apple says, material transfers, the good news is that it won't have any impact on how your iPhone performs. Even if you like to have your new phones run naked out in the wild, you might want to consider a case anyway for your iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or your iPhone Air.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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