Apple‘s latest iPhone has been on sale for barely four days, but already people are encountering problems.
Many users are complaining that the iPhone 17 Pro models are scratching and scuffing too easily – resulting in some unsightly marks.
And they’re seriously unimpressed that a high-end product starting from £1,099/$1,099 isn’t a little more robust.
On X (formerly Twitter), one user in Hong Kong shared photos of his iPhone 17 Pro in the new ‘Cosmic Orange’ colour.
The brightly coloured exterior, which is made from aluminium, has a white mark where a little chunk of the frame has been chipped off.
The X user, @aldyei, said in his post: ‘Just got the new iPhone 17, and it already has a scratch! Super disappointing.
They continued: ‘If this aluminum scratches so easily, I’m worried it’ll start showing the metal underneath.
‘Apple, this isn’t what I expected from a premium product!’
On X (Twitter), one user in Hong Kong shared photos of his scratched iPhone Pro in the new ‘Cosmic Orange’ colour – with a chip along the frame
The issue, now trending online as ‘#Scratchgate’, is affecting a large number of buyers of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which were released on Friday.
X account @ViralBased said in a post the same day that early iPhone 17 buyers ‘are reporting chips and scuffs en masse’.
It added: ‘The problem is especially bad with the Pro versions, where Apple ditched titanium in favor of aluminum.
‘Damage shows up quickly on the casing, and Apple Stores are refusing to replace such devices.’
@ViralBased included four photos of iPhone 17 Pro handsets with damage – including one with a cracked Ceramic Shield on the back.
The Ceramic Shield, intended to give iPhones extra protection, consists of ceramic nanocrystals embedded in glass – but it’s not totally resistant to impact.
Another X user in Ontario, Canada, @darewecan, said he had witnessed scratches on iPhone 17 Pro models at an Apple Store.
He posted: ‘Wow – just went into the Apple Store to look at the iPhone 17 Pro scratch issues I’m reading about online & it is definitely a real thing.
One X account, @ViralBased, said in a post that early iPhone 17 buyers ‘are reporting chips and scuffs en masse’
Another X user in Ontario, Canada, @darewecan, said he had witnessed scratches on iPhone 17 Pro models at an Apple Store
‘Every blue Pro had these small scratches on the ceramic glass back as well as several of the Orange.
‘Silver of course was less noticeable. I always go careless so there no way I can’t get a blue Pro now – these scratches would bug me.’
Another Apple fan in London, @joinfaizanj, posted: ‘Apple quality standards are degrading. iPhone 17 Pro surface scratch just after a day in store!’
And one user, @olivercollins09, said he’d cancelled his order of the iPhone 17 Pro in Deep Blue after seeing reports of scratches from other users.
In his annual scratch test video, YouTuber JerryRigEverything advises customers to get a protective case for their iPhone 17 Pro models, calling ‘scratch gate’ a ‘real’ issue.
In the clip, he demonstrates that the rectangular camera bar along the back of the Pro models can be easily nicked with coins and keys – although both prove highly resistant to bending.
‘There’s no way to avoid the inevitable chipping unless you never set your phone down, or get a case,’ the YouTuber says.
‘Your iPhone 17 Pro is going to chip and there’s nothing you can do to save it.’
iPhone Pro is Apple’s more advanced, higher-specification model of iPhone compared to the standard model. Pictured, fans try out the iPhone 17 Pro Max on launch day in Delhi, India, September 19, 2025
Apple also released its iPhone Air, a completely new ultra-slim and light option that ties in with Apple’s ‘Air’ MacBook computers. With a depth of 0.22 inches (5.6 mm), iPhone Air (pictured) is the thinnest iPhone ever produced
Apple has been contacted by the Daily Mail for comment.
The trillion-dollar-company is charging £1,099/$1,099 for its iPhone 17 Pro and (£1,199/$1,199) for its iPhone 17 Pro Max, which boasts a larger display and more processing power.
The cheapest iPhone 17 model, which has a matte glass back with an aluminum frame but no Ceramic Shield on the back, starts at £799/$799.
Also on Friday, Apple released its iPhone Air, a completely new ultra-slim and light option that ties in with Apple’s ‘Air’ MacBook computers.
Along with the new iPhones, Apple released the £369/$399 Apple Watch Series 11, which comes with 24 hours of battery life and a more scratch-resistant screen.
There’s also the £749/$799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which has emergency satellite messaging, letting people get help in an emergency when there’s no Wi–Fi.
And fans can also own from today the $249/£219 AirPods Pro 3, which are packed with a Star Trek-style feature that translates foreign languages in real-time.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .