By Scott Younker
Copyright tomsguide
Skip to main content
Tom’s Guide
Newsletters
View Profile
Search Tom’s Guide
You May Like
Watch the iPhone Air survive 130 pounds of pressure in extreme bend test
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Could Get New Liquid Silicone Cases According to New Leak — Here’s What We Know
iPhone 17 Pro Max could ditch a popular color if this leak is accurate — but I don’t think so
Phone Insights
Phone Best Picks
Phone Deals
Phone Face-Offs
Phone How-Tos
Phone Reviews
Network Carriers
Android Phones
Google Phones
Motorola Phones
OnePlus Phones
Samsung Phones
Nothing Phone
TV Best Picks
TV Face-Offs
Audio Insights
Audio Best Picks
Audio Deals
Audio Face-Offs
Audio How-Tos
Audio Reviews
Over-Ear Headphones
Bluetooth Speakers
Smart Speakers
TV & Audio Brands
Entertainment
Streaming Devices
Prime Video
Paramount Plus
PlayStation
Handheld Gaming
Gaming Peripherals
Connections
Computing Insights
Computing Best Picks
Computing Deals
Computing Face-Offs
Computing How-Tos
Computing News
Computing Reviews
VPN Best Picks
VPN Face-Offs
VPN How-Tos
VPN Reviews
Operating Systems
Identity Theft Protection
Parental Controls
Malware & Adware
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Smart Glasses
Chromebooks
Gaming Laptops
Apple Desktops
Gaming Desktops
Android Tablets
Computing Brands
AI Insights
AI Best Picks
AI Face-Offs
Google Gemini
Apple Intelligence
Mattress Best Picks
Mattress Deals
Mattress Face-Offs
Mattress How-Tos
Mattress News
Mattress Reviews
Mattress Care
Mattress Toppers
Pillows & Bedding
Smartwatches
Fitness Trackers
Smart Rings
Apple Watch
Home Insights
Home Best Picks
Home Face-Offs
Home How-Tos
Home Reviews
Home Topics
Home Appliances
Home Office
Home Security
Home Brands
Popular Brands
View Phones
Phone Insights
Phone Best Picks
Phone Deals
Phone Face-Offs
Phone How-Tos
Phone Reviews
Network Carriers
View Network Carriers
Android Phones
View Android Phones
Google Phones
Motorola Phones
OnePlus Phones
Samsung Phones
Nothing Phone
TV Best Picks
TV Face-Offs
Audio Insights
View Audio Insights
Audio Best Picks
Audio Deals
Audio Face-Offs
Audio How-Tos
Audio Reviews
Headphones
View Headphones
Over-Ear Headphones
View Speakers
Bluetooth Speakers
Smart Speakers
TV & Audio Brands
Entertainment
View Entertainment
View Streaming
Streaming Devices
Prime Video
Paramount Plus
View Gaming
PlayStation
Handheld Gaming
Gaming Peripherals
Word Games
Connections
View Computing
Computing Insights
Computing Best Picks
Computing Deals
Computing Face-Offs
Computing How-Tos
Computing News
Computing Reviews
VPN Best Picks
VPN Face-Offs
VPN How-Tos
VPN Reviews
View Hardware
View Software
Operating Systems
View Security
Identity Theft Protection
Parental Controls
Malware & Adware
View VR & AR
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Smart Glasses
View Laptops
Chromebooks
Gaming Laptops
View Desktops
Apple Desktops
Gaming Desktops
View Tablets
Android Tablets
Computing Brands
AI Insights
AI Best Picks
AI Face-Offs
AI Engines
Google Gemini
Apple Intelligence
View Wellness
Mattresses
View Mattresses
Mattress Best Picks
Mattress Deals
Mattress Face-Offs
Mattress How-Tos
Mattress News
Mattress Reviews
Mattress Care
Mattress Toppers
Pillows & Bedding
View Fitness
Smartwatches
Fitness Trackers
Smart Rings
Apple Watch
Home Insights
Home Best Picks
Home Face-Offs
Home How-Tos
Home Reviews
Home Topics
Home Appliances
Home Office
Home Security
View Outdoors
Home Brands
Popular Brands
Meta Connect LIVE
iPhone 17 Pro Max Review
iPhone Air Review
iPhone 17 Review
Best laptops
Best Mattress
Don’t miss these
iPhone 17 and 17 Pro colors — these are your options (and our favorites)
Best iPhone 15 Pro cases
Best iPhones in 2025: Which iPhone should you buy?
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro: Here’s all the new rumored features
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 7 reasons to buy (and 3 reasons to skip)
Best iPhone 15 cases
iPhone 17 — Is getting AppleCare+ worth it?
Watch the iPhone Air survive 130 pounds of pressure in extreme bend test
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Could Get New Liquid Silicone Cases According to New Leak — Here’s What We Know
iPhone 17 Pro Max could ditch a popular color if this leak is accurate — but I don’t think so
iPhone 17 colors: Here’s what’s rumored for this fall’s new iPhones
I have serious concerns about the iPhone Air’s design — and these accessories are only making that worse
iPhone 17’s ‘TechWoven’ cases tipped to be the durable, sustainable cases FineWoven failed to be
iPhone 17 rumors say one model could get a new orange color — pick your favorite shade
Apple could ditch titanium on iPhone 17 Pro — and keep it exclusive to iPhone 17 Air
Yikes! These iPhone 17 colors are already getting scratched more easily than others
Scott Younker
19 September 2025
Specifically, the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Air
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Time to buy a case for your new iPhone. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting that some of the darker colors for the iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone Air are picking up marks and scratches far more easily than the lighter colors. In some cases, people are seeing these marred iPhones in the Apple Stores where they are displayed.
Specifically, the issue seems to be affecting the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in the Deep Blue colorway and the iPhone Air in Space Black.
@bloombergbusiness
♬ original sound – Bloomberg Business
A French publication, Consomac, reported similar issues in France, but it’s not clear how prevalent this issue is or if the devices were possibly mishandled. Accounts in China, one of the first regions to get the phones, were sharing images of scratched handsets.
You may like
Watch the iPhone Air survive 130 pounds of pressure in extreme bend test
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Could Get New Liquid Silicone Cases According to New Leak — Here’s What We Know
iPhone 17 Pro Max could ditch a popular color if this leak is accurate — but I don’t think so
This year, Apple changed the frame of the iPhone 17 Pro models from titanium to aluminum unibody with a Ceramic Shield area on the rear of the phone. In comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro features a titanium body with a glass back.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Both are stronger than aluminum, but if aluminum is this much more prone to scratches, it’s not a good look for Apple’s higher-end variants. That said, the iPhone Air features a titanium frame with a glass-like Ceramic Shield.
Gurman also mentioned that the MagSafe chargers used by Apple in stores appear to be leaving marks on the backs of the phones.
That all said, display models aren’t always taken care of by people in the same way that they would baby their personal iPhone, which is also most likely in a case.
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Our global editor in chief Mark Spoonauer reviewed the blue iPhone 17 Pro Max and has been using it for over a week. He does not see any scratches or scuff marks on his unit so far but we’ll keep an eye out.
And, from what we’ve seen, the brighter colors like orange on the Pro models or white and light gold for the iPhone Air don’t appear to be having these same issues, or the lighter hues are hiding the scratches better.
Apple launch headaches
(Image credit: Future)
The iPhone 17 launch isn’t going smoothly for Apple.
You may like
Watch the iPhone Air survive 130 pounds of pressure in extreme bend test
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Could Get New Liquid Silicone Cases According to New Leak — Here’s What We Know
iPhone 17 Pro Max could ditch a popular color if this leak is accurate — but I don’t think so
The Stolen Device Protection feature is wreaking havoc on iPhone 17 trade-ins. The feature is great for preventing a thief from turning off Find My tracking but it’s currently causing issues with letting people swap out their phones.
Plus, some iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models are suffering from a “rare” camera glitch, which causes black boxes and white lines to appear in photos. Fortunately, Apple already has a fix in the works coming in a future update, but it’s not ideal.
The company is no stranger to launch headaches, as the iPhone 16 debuted with a litany of issues affecting everything from the display and cameras to durability problems.
Many of those problems were ironed out in the ensuing weeks and months, and we expect the iPhone 17’s launch issues will similarly be resolved.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom’s Guide
This iOS 26 feature is wreaking havoc on iPhone 17 trade-ins — here’s how to deal with it
Apple iPhone Air review: What I like and what I don’t
iPhone 17 Pro Max sustained performance tested — does the vapor chamber cooling actually work?
Today’s best Apple iPhone 17, Apple iPhone 17 Pro, Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max andApple iPhone Air deals
$1,099.99Preorder
$1,299View
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
See more Phones News
Scott Younker
Social Links Navigation
West Coast Reporter
Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom’s Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Watch the iPhone Air survive 130 pounds of pressure in extreme bend test
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Could Get New Liquid Silicone Cases According to New Leak — Here’s What We Know
iPhone 17 Pro Max could ditch a popular color if this leak is accurate — but I don’t think so
iPhone 17 and 17 Pro colors — these are your options (and our favorites)
iPhone 17 colors: Here’s what’s rumored for this fall’s new iPhones
I have serious concerns about the iPhone Air’s design — and these accessories are only making that worse
Latest in iPhones
This iOS 26 feature is wreaking havoc on iPhone 17 trade-ins — here’s how to deal with it
iPhone 17 launch LIVE — we’re tracking the best deals iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and more
iPhone Air MagSafe battery gets first teardown — here’s what it reveals
Can the iPhone Air survive a hammer? — the internet is trying to find out
My top iPhone 17 Pro Max pre-order deal ends tonight — here’s your last chance to get it
iPhone 17 and iPhone Air are latest phones to push eSIM — here’s why I don’t want to give up physical SIM cards
Latest in News
Yikes! These iPhone 17 colors are already getting scratched more easily than others
ChatGPT-5 just added new controls for how long it ‘thinks’ — here’s how to set the pace
OpenAI could follow up its AI pin with smart glasses, a speaker and more — here’s what we know
Chrome could soon let you automatically upgrade from passwords to passkeys — here’s how
Meta Ray Ban Display fail: Here’s why Mark Zuckerberg’s demo didn’t work
Samsung’s tri-fold phone may come to the US this year with a ‘much larger screen’
LATEST ARTICLES
This budget Whirlpool dishwasher takes a top spot in our buying guide — and it’s 32% off right now
Forget camera phones — here are my 3 favorite compact cameras that are great for any adventure
ChatGPT-5 just added new controls for how long it ‘thinks’ — here’s how to set the pace
OpenAI could follow up its AI pin with smart glasses, a speaker and more — here’s what we know
This iOS 26 feature is wreaking havoc on iPhone 17 trade-ins — here’s how to deal with it
Tom’s Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Terms and conditions
Contact Future’s experts
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Accessibility Statement
Advertise with us
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…
