Apple addresses iPhone 17 ‘scratchgate’ controversy: Here’s what happened

“For some reason, Apple didn’t add a chamfer, fillet or radius around the camera plateau, and I think it was intentional, so it looks cooler. But that decision to look cool out of the box is going to plague everyone who owns this phone down the road,” he added. As it turns out, if you happen to keep your iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the same pocket with everyday items like coins or house or car keys, the metal can chip away at the coating around the camera island, but these items won’t most likely affect the flat rear panel.

Last week, when the iPhone 17 series went on sale, Bloomberg had reported that some of the display models in Apple retail stores already had some scratches on them. The publication also stated that the magnetic MagSafe charger may leave a fairly visible circular mark on the back panel of the iPhone 17 Pro models.

Commenting on the iPhone 17 Pro’s scratchgate controversy, an Apple representative told 9to5mac that the scratches were caused by the worn MagSafe stands that were used in some stores. The tech giant went on to say that they aren’t actually scratches, but the material transfer from the stands to the phone and that they can be removed by cleaning. Apple also claimed that the same issue also affected the iPhone 16 models.

As for the marks on or near the camera bump, Apple says that the camera island’s edges have the same anodised aluminium finish as MacBooks and other iPhone models, but users may see normal wear and tear, like small abrasions over time. iFixit, an online resource for repairing consumer electronics, said that the problem lies in the iPhone 17 Pro’s sharp camera bump, where the anodization process is uneven. Right now, the only way to prevent these scratches from appearing is to put on a case.