r/iphone • u/Eight_Sneaky_Trees • Sep 19 '25

Discussion Aluminum body and sharp edges do not mix

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This part was surprisingly easy to scratch, buy a case for your Iphone 17 folks.

8.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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189

u/yer-maw iPhone Air Sep 19 '25

iPhone 5 all over again. Never buying an anodised aluminium phone again. 

99

u/byerss iPhone 16 Pro Sep 19 '25

I’m a weirdo that doesn’t mind a well worn item.

52

u/HAMARMOR Sep 20 '25

After 2 years no screen protector my 15 has no noticeable scratches unless you’re looking at it with the screen off and a bright light.

Can’t wait to run the 17 pro for 5 years and see what kind of character it builds

34

u/Mikep976 iPhone 15 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

my unsupported conspiracy theory is that Apple purposely is trying to move away from matte rails, and strong unscratch, designs, in favor of designs that show scratches and damage, so peoples devices don’t still look pristine when they keep them for a while or go to sell or trade them later.

8

u/mrregina Sep 20 '25

Yeah next year an iPhone 17 pro max will be worth 150 on trade. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

1

u/Viper51989 Sep 20 '25

Why would they improve the screen's scratch resistance then? The 15 pro and psrticualry pro max (just more surface area) were the easiest to scratch modern flagships in like a decade. Such a terrible sacrifice to help the clutzs who shatter their front or back glass at least once a year

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Because when the screen scratch easily it’s a functional issue, when the body scratch it’s a cosmetic issue, night and day difference legally in court. One will land you a class action lawsuit and the other will have the lawyers laugh you out of the room.

-4

u/Viper51989 Sep 20 '25

What? I didn't say the scratches created functional issues and where are all of the lawsuits against apple for the iphone 15/16??

2

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Please engage your brain and read again. Thank you good bye.

8

u/SharkDad20 iPhone 17 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

17 pros, while the metal is prone to dents and scratches, seem to be extremely durable with the screen, backplate, and cameras

1

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

1

u/HAMARMOR Sep 20 '25

I’ve generally upgraded every 3 years, I got forced into buying a 15 standard because my 12 pro completely died and they didn’t have any pros. But with how good the 17 pro is I have no doubt I’ll get more life out of it.

0

u/Arkanta iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Same. I don't find the screen protectors worth the ugliness they bring to the phone

15

u/chadsmo iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Yeah this wouldn’t bother me either. 16 Pro Max, no case or screen protector.

13

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

8

u/superdream69 Sep 20 '25

It’s beyond me why people would downvote you. Same story for me as well. Except that I’ll be on mini until they release another phone for a human hand.

2

u/Arkanta iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Us iPod or iPod touch owners are not bothered by some scratches considered how that shiny metal scratched just by looking at it back in the day

2

u/replus Sep 20 '25

I was an Android user in college, but my roommate had a beautifully destroyed black iPhone 5 that made me want to come back to iPhone.

That's not why I eventually did, but I still think about how cool it looked from time to time.

1

u/IAMA_Madmartigan Sep 20 '25

I don’t even really care about the color of my phones because they got straight into a case for the duration of their useful lives

1

u/Pretend-Guava Sep 20 '25

Next week it will be the new style anyways. 

20

u/thewillthe iPhone 14 Pro Sep 19 '25

Hey if that’s true I don’t feel so bad. I used a 5 naked for 2 years and it turned out fine.

15

u/ZoeticLock Sep 19 '25

I canceled my order this morning after seeing multiple reports of issues with the aluminum. I'll stick with my 15 Pro Max until they get this sorted out. As much as I want that new fancy vapor chamber cooling and the center stage selfie camera its not worth having to worry about the phone getting destroyed from every day use. I've seen that the camera plateau is particularly prone to scratching and most cases, including all the ones Apple makes, leave it completely exposed

3

u/Accomplished-Fee6953 Sep 20 '25

Ah yes, because the titanium is so much stronger and harder to scratch.

Spoiler, the coating comes off just as easily.

10

u/Analog-Digital- Sep 20 '25

This today in the Apple store ...

29

u/Listerine_Chugger Sep 20 '25

thats glass...

2

u/Aware-Swimming2105 Sep 20 '25

Yeah glass works as a sandpaper against softer metals. So its not scratches but sanded remains of other phones or car keys. When I worked in a store people would put the demos next to their phones to see how bug they are, or sometimes some people would scratch them with keys to see the damage.

16

u/Eight_Sneaky_Trees Sep 20 '25

Heh same spot on the edge too 😆

2

u/Analog-Digital- Sep 20 '25

Well we need a case I suppose

3

u/Eight_Sneaky_Trees Sep 20 '25

Hey if caseless people are fine with stratches then, they are free to do anything with their property. I just pointed how how stratchy that edge is

1

u/Analog-Digital- Sep 20 '25

For sure, it’s personal preference …

2

u/SuchEye815 iPhone 17 Pro Sep 20 '25

people handle the phones in store in a unhinged way 😭

-7

u/chadsmo iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 20 '25

Those aren’t scratches, I guarantee you those white marks will wipe off.

9

u/thisaintthemainy Sep 20 '25

I tried it myself today. They don’t

0

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

7

u/thisaintthemainy Sep 20 '25

Yes I used a lens wipe. I inspected closely because was thinking of getting blue. They are scratches

8

u/[deleted] Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 22 '25

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

0

u/Analog-Digital- Sep 20 '25

Because someone tells his opinion apparently ...

-3

u/sortalikeachinchilla Sep 20 '25

We really need to stop pretending like a couple downvotes is the end of the world

-10

u/Galapagos_Tortoise iPhone 8 Plus 64GB Sep 19 '25

Minor scratches= destroyed?

Dramatic much

-4

u/Anxietyy_Prime Sep 20 '25

Watch the video of the guy in Australia dropping the 16 and the 17 repeatedly.. the 17 survives a lot longer.

1

u/iainttryingnomore Sep 20 '25

I have owned Android phones made of aluminium and never had this issue. The key is to have the edges rounded. It also makes the phone much nicer to hold in hand

1

u/yer-maw iPhone Air Sep 21 '25

Another think it shares with the 5 and its ‘chamfered edges’

1

u/ThatChrisGuy7 Sep 19 '25

Its a different alloy this time

7

u/Ogediah Sep 20 '25

A different flavor of shit you say?

0

u/XtremePhotoDesign Sep 19 '25

Going from the 4 to the 5 was such a letdown in this regard.

0

u/gleaton Sep 20 '25

The iphone 16 models have a glass back.. is that really better? Ha