Beware: The reported iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air colors may be prone to scratching easily.
The highly anticipated iPhone 17 Pro models and the new iPhone Air were unveiled on September 19, 2025, following pre-orders that started on September 12. However, the launch has been overshadowed by a series of issues, including problems with the display, cameras, and durability.
According to reports, some users have been experiencing a rare camera glitch, causing black boxes and white lines in photos. This issue seems to be affecting the Deep Blue colorway of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, and the Space Black color of the iPhone Air.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has also reported that the darker colors of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models, as well as the iPhone Air, are picking up marks and scratches more easily than lighter colors. Contrastingly, brighter colors like orange on the Pro models or white and light gold for the iPhone Air do not seem to be having the same issues, or the lighter hues are hiding the scratches better.
Accounts in China, one of the first regions to get the phones, have shared images of scratched handsets. Consomac, a French publication, reported similar issues in France, but it's not clear how prevalent this issue is.
Apple is reportedly working on a fix for the camera glitch, which is expected to be released in a future update.
On a more positive note, Mark Spoonauer, the global editor in chief, has reviewed the blue iPhone 17 Pro Max and has been using it for over a week without seeing any scratches or scuff marks. Tom's Guide has also published reviews on the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Tom's Guide provides up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews on the iPhone 17, offering insights into its features, performance, and issues. Users can follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add them as a preferred source to get their updates in their feeds.
In addition, Tom's Guide has an article on testing the iPhone 17 Pro Max's vapor chamber cooling system. This year, the iPhone 17 Pro models have a frame made of aluminum unibody with a Ceramic Shield area on the rear, compared to the titanium body with a glass back on the iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone Air features a titanium frame with a glass-like Ceramic Shield.
Another issue that has come to light is the Stolen Device Protection feature on the iPhone 17 causing issues with letting people swap out their phones during trade-ins. Tom's Guide has published an article on how to deal with this issue.
As the dust settles on the iPhone 17 launch, it's clear that while there are some challenges, Apple and its users are working together to address them.
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