The iPhone 17 Pro has landed in stores with a surprising problem: it scratches more easily than expected. Despite Apple’s promises of improved durability, repair experts now say the design itself—not the aluminum—is to blame.
The term “ScratchGate” went viral shortly after the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max hit shelves. Customers in China first reported unusual scratch marks on their new devices, particularly around the camera bump. Social media posts quickly spread worldwide, showing cosmetic damage on the sharp corners of the camera plateau.
YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything confirmed that the scratches are real and pointed to Apple’s decision to use sharp edges instead of rounded corners. This design choice leaves the paint vulnerable to chips when the phone comes into contact with keys, coins, or other hard objects.
iFixit confirms the flaw
Well-known repair company iFixit conducted its own investigation and reached the same conclusion: Apple’s design is the issue. The company worked 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 everyday scratches. Flat surfaces showed only superficial damage, but the camera plateau’s edges suffered from a phenomenon called “spalling,” where material chips away under pressure.
Why Aluminum isn’t the culprit
Apple’s choice of anodized aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro’s chassis is not the root cause. According to Niebuhr, both aluminum and titanium can undergo anodization, but the problem lies in the geometry of the corners.
Even a thicker oxide layer would not have prevented the spalling—it might have made it worse. The expert concluded that Apple could have avoided this issue by designing smoother, more gradual curves around the camera bump.
Repair limitations
While the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max remain relatively repair-friendly overall, scratches around the camera plateau cannot be fixed. The camera bump is part of the unibody chassis, meaning replacement isn’t an option. For now, users are left with protective cases or skins as the only practical solution.
