Apple’s new iPhone 17 models criticized for scratching too easily

According to social media users, demo units of the Deep Blue iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max and the Space Black iPhone Air were already showing visible scuffs only a few hours after being put on display in Apple stores in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. Users shared photos of the scratches and of circular marks left by Apple’s MagSafe charger on the back of the Pro models, which quickly trended on China’s Weibo with tens of millions of views.

Apple switched from the titanium chassis used in the iPhone 16 Pro back to aluminum in the iPhone 17, a material known to be more prone to scratches and scuffs. While the blemishes are considered cosmetic and do not affect performance, many buyers expressed disappointment, saying they undermine the company’s claim of improved scratch resistance.

This is not the first time Apple has faced complaints following a major iPhone launch. Previous models have also drawn criticism from the iPhone 7’s easily scuffed glossy black coating to the iPhone 6’s “bendgate” controversy over its thin frame, and even the iPhone 4’s antenna reception problems when held a certain way.

Apple has not yet responded to the latest concerns about the iPhone 17’s durability.

Earlier it was reported that global sales of Apple’s new iPhone 17 Pro would begin on September 19. The launch took place as scheduled.