On September 23, 2025, an investigative journalist confirmed that the issue known as ‘scratch gate’ regarding the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air is real, following a visit to an Apple Store.
- Update 23/09: Investigative journalist visited local Apple Store.
- Some iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models are prone to scratching.
- Dark blue iPhone 17 Pro and black iPhone Air are scratch magnets.
- Store display units developed scratches within the first couple of days.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests scratching issue affects anodised aluminium frame.
- YouTuber JerryRigEverything cites camera plateau as main issue.
Reports indicate that certain models, particularly the dark blue iPhone 17 Pro and black iPhone Air, are prone to scratching. Users on Twitter have voiced complaints about scratches appearing even in the Apple Store.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that the scratching issue may be linked to the anodised aluminium frame of the iPhone 17 Pro. YouTuber JerryRigEverything mentioned that the camera plateau’s sharp edges could be contributing to the problem.
“That decision to look cool out of the box is going to plague everyone who owns this phone.”
— JerryRigEverything, YouTuber
Originally reported by www.creativebloq.com as “iPhone 17 ‘scratch gate’ is real – and it’s worse than I thought” on 2025-09-23 14:46:00.
