The hype around iPhone 17 ‘”scratchgate” has come and gone. As it turns out, most of the initial issues reported were caused by older MagSafe risers used in stores. Now, a few owners of the Cosmic Orange colorway of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are reporting that it’s changing to pink or rose gold.
Cosmic Orange is a distinct brand-new hue for Apple and appears to be quite popular. However, a Reddit post on the iPhone subreddit shows how much one iPhone 17 Pro owner’s phone has allegedly changed.
(Image credit: r/DakAttack316)
“I wanted Orange, not a pink iPhone,” user DakAttack316 said.
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It’s not clear how widespread this problem is. We found another example on TikTok where it almost looks like the orange is smearing, similar to those color-changing Hot Wheels cars.
The color change appears most prominent around the new camera plateau and around the frame of the phone. So far, I’ve only seen reports of this affecting the orange variant, such as in this Instagram post where the camera area is fading to pink. And there’s another Reddit post claiming the color changes under the sun, which we honestly find hard to believe.
We looked through the official Apple support forums, but didn’t see any reports. Though that may not be a reliable source.
Tom’s Guide has reached out to Apple for comment on the issue and will update if the company responds.
We have a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro for testing. My colleague John Velasco reported that it’s “perfectly fine,” and he currently has an iPhone 17 Pro case on his unit. Another colleague Richard Priday, has had the orange iPhone for three weeks and has not noticed any changes.
Some have suggested that the color change is caused by oxidation of the aluminum frame. Protective sealing layers, which prevent contact between the metal and air, may have been improperly applied. This could cause the discoloration.
One user who claimed to work at the Genius Bar said they had seen this before with aluminum MacBooks, where the material was discolored. They said Apple wouldn’t replace the unit but did “repair as usual under warranty.”
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What to do if you’re iPhone 17 Pro changes color?
Assuming these complaints are legit, we recommend documenting the issue and contacting Apple Support or visiting an Apple Store to report the problem if it’s happening to you. Apple might replace the affected phone or repair it, as it’s a new device that should be under warranty.
Apple has not officially released a statement about the issue, which could be a sign that it’s not widespread (a lot of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max devices in orange have sold, and the reports are fairly isolated).
As for DakAttack, they responded to a comment saying they were going to return their phone to the Apple store.
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