iPhone 17 finishes show cosmetic wear on display units

Apple’s new iPhone 17 family hit stores last Friday, but the rollout has been shadowed by mounting complaints that several color and model combinations scratch or chip more readily than buyers expect. Reports and social media posts from shoppers and reviewers in the United States, China and Europe say demo units and newly purchased phones in Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange and Space Black show visible scuffs on the back glass and the aluminum frame within days of being handled in stores or carried briefly without a case.

Bloomberg reporters who inspected display models in Apple stores in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and London found conspicuous scuffs on Deep Blue iPhone 17 Pro units after only a few hours on display. Videos and images circulating on X and other platforms include closeups of chipped anodization around the camera plateau and circular marks reportedly left by MagSafe chargers. Some early buyers have posted photos of cracked back glass and other drop damage, though details about the falls are not always clear.

Durability testers and teardown specialists offer a technical explanation for the pattern. YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything demonstrated that the...