You may have missed it, but the internet had a collective meltdown about the brand-new iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Air demo units looking scratched up in stores. We finally have an answer. And no, the phones are not, in fact, made of butter.
Apple has officially weighed in on "scratchgate," and the culprit isn't a design flaw -- it's grimy display stands. Apparently, old and worn-out MagSafe holders were rubbing off on the backs of the new devices, creating the illusion of a scratch.
The company says that it's fixing the problematic displays, and the marks can simply be wiped clean. The great iPhone panic of 2025 has ended not with a bang, but with a microfiber cloth.
Not all scratches are equal, and the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max's shape could make the anodized coating susceptible to chipping. People are also reacting to videos from iFixIt and Zach Nelson's YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. The videos show a possible issue with the anodized coating around the edges of the camera plateau on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. In his video, Nelson takes a quarter and rubs it along the edge of the camera plateau, causing the coating to chip.
Apple explained to CNET that the anodization on the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max is just as durable as that on other products. However, over time, it may show small abrasions with normal wear and tear. The company said that its anodization layer is extremely hard and exceeds industry standard guidelines for microhardness.
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Concerns about scratching and durability come on the heels of one of Apple's biggest iPhone redesigns in years. And while marks and scratches don't affect how Apple's phones work, no one wants to have a new $800-plus iPhone look anything but the best it can. The iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro units CNET has been testing for the past two weeks don't show any scratches, chips or scuffs.
If you're concerned about your new iPhone getting scuffed, you can always buy a case and screen protector.
What is the iPhone 17 Pro made of?
Depending on the light, the Ceramic Shield cutout can sometimes look lighter than the rest of the 17 Pro Max's body. Celso Bulgatti/CNET
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