Is the iPhone 17 Pro’s ‘Colorgate’ Worth Worrying About?

If you're looking to buy a new iPhone 17 this year, not only do you have a number of models to consider, you also have a number of colors to choose from. But some users who opted for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are claiming that the color they picked isn't the color they see today. According to these users, their iPhones have changed color over the short period of time they've owned them.

Obviously, the internet has dubbed the issue "colorgate." Apple is no stranger to "gates," of course, especially when it comes to the iPhone: There was "antennagate," when the iPhone 4's redesigned antennas reported caused cellular connection issues; "bendgate," when the iPhone 6 Plus was prone to physically bending; and most recently, "scratchgate," where the aluminum on the iPhone 17 Pro Max appeared susceptible to scratching easily.

Now, colorgate is here to further draw criticism to the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Customers such as DakAttack316 on Reddit are claiming their Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pros are turning pink—or, if you want to give it an "Apple label," rose gold. It's tough not to see the reason this would bother people: Apple's advertisements for the Cosmic Orange iPhones highlight a vibrant and striking orange. The iPhone in the photos from DakAttack316 looks more sunburnt than anything else. The wireless charging pad remains a somewhat bright orange, but the aluminum has taken on a salmon hue. The orange accents throughout the phone also seem to have been affected, with some looking faded or dirty. Maybe if the entire iPhone was all one pinkish hue, it wouldn't look so bad, but the variety of colors visible in the photo make it look damaged.

DakAttack316's might be among the most viral accounts of the issue, but they aren't alone. Take this post for instance: The issue isn't quite as pronounced, but you can clearly see how faded the orange metal is, especially when directly compared to another Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Meanwhile, this viral TikTok shows some more selective discoloration on different elements of an iPhone 17 Pro.

It's not clear what is causing these issues, or how many Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pros are affected. Some theories suggest that using the wrong type of solvent to clean your iPhone, such as bleach or hydrogen peroxide, could be causing or contributing to the discoloration, since Apple says these chemicals shouldn't be used on iPhones. (Even if that isn't the case, it's always good practice to abstain from treating your devices with cleaning solutions unless the manufacturer has officially approved those chemicals.)

Should people stop buying the iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange?

No. We don't know why this is happening yet, or how widespread the issue is, but if a statistically significant number of Cosmic Orange iPhones were having this issue, you'd likely be seeing a lot more complaints than you are at the moment—especially considering the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are selling better than expected.

Maybe these users were treating their iPhones with harsh chemical cleaners; perhaps a small number of Cosmic Orange iPhones have a manufacturing defect. Whatever the cause turns out to be, it doesn't appear to be something afflicting the majority of the devices. Compare these two Reddit posts showing off pink Cosmic Orange iPhones, with this thread of users who are happy with their color choice. It's all anecdotal evidence, of course, but for the moment, I'm just not seeing very many users complaining about sunburnt iPhones.

If you do buy a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro, and it does turn pink, take it to Apple or your carrier. So long as you didn't clean it with bleach, the company will almost assuredly swap it out for you—hopefully for a device that won't fade with age.

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