The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today.
Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The marks are removable with cleaning, according to Apple.
Apple will fix the problem in Apple Stores, and the company says that other models like the iPhone 16 are also affected.
Separately, scratch tests have suggested that the camera plateau area on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max is prone to scratching. Apple says that the edges of the iPhone 17 Pro camera plateau have similar characteristics to the aluminum cases on other Apple devices, like the MacBook. The edges are designed to be durable and undergo testing prior to release, but Apple claims that users may see normal wear and tear that includes small abrasions over time.
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Apple told 9to5Mac ('https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/24/apple-responds-to-iphone-17-pro-scratch-and-durability-concerns/') that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Yeah! Who installed those bloody things!? The company that runs these stores really needs to install new charging stands!!
But this means anyone who puts their iPhone on a MagSafe stand like this one will receive scratches.
And lol at “material transfer”. I looked at these iPhones yesterday at a store, and tried to rub out the scratches on one phone. Nothing happened. They’re scratches. And I use an old MagSafe stand without a case. I never have any material transfer.
I just know for iPhone 18 they’ll bring Ceramic Shield 2 to the back glass and call it a “feature”.
By the way, if you really want to see for yourself how much Apple is BS’ing, go to an Apple Store and take an iPhone 16 on off one of the MagSafe cases. Then compare it to an iPhone 17 Pro. This is clearly a phone specific issue.
