The iPhone 17 Pro has arrived in stores with a surprising flaw: it scratches more easily than expected. Despite Apple’s promises of enhanced durability, repair experts now confirm that the design itself, not the aluminum, is the real culprit.
The “ScratchGate” Issue The term “ScratchGate” quickly went viral after the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max were released. Customers in China were the first to report unusual scratch marks on their new devices, specifically around the camera bump. Social media posts soon spread globally, showing cosmetic damage on the sharp corners of the camera plateau.
YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything verified that the scratches are indeed real and blamed Apple’s decision to use sharp edges instead of rounded corners. This design choice makes the paint susceptible to chipping when the phone encounters keys, coins, or other hard objects.
iFixit Confirms the Flaw The well-known repair company iFixit conducted its own investigation and reached the same conclusion: Apple’s design is the core problem. The company collaborated with David Niebuhr, a mechanical engineering expert from California Polytechnic State University, to test the phone’s resilience.
Using a Mohs hardness kit, iFixit simulated common scratches. Flat surfaces only showed superficial damage, but the camera plateau’s edges suffered from “spalling,” a phenomenon where small pieces of material chip away under pressure.
Why the Aluminum Isn’t to Blame Apple’s choice of anodized aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro’s chassis is not the root cause. According to Niebuhr, while both aluminum and titanium can be anodized, the issue lies in the geometry of the corners.
Even a thicker oxide layer wouldn’t have prevented the spalling; it might have made it worse. The expert concluded that Apple could have avoided this problem by designing smoother, more gradual curves around the camera bump.
Repair Limitations While the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are generally repair-friendly, scratches on the camera plateau cannot be fixed. The camera bump is part of the unibody chassis, meaning a replacement isn’t an option. For now, users’ only practical solution is to use a protective case or skin.
