In the aftermath of the iPhone 17 launch, there was a bit of a ‘scratchgate’ controversy as customers noticed iPhone 17 and iPhone Air demo units in stores were already showing noticeable signs of wear on their backs. Apple investigated and commented that these marks were caused by material transfer from older MagSafe chargers being used to display the phones on the Apple Store tables.
At the time, the company said it was working to address the issue in stores. We may now be seeing the solution; Consomac spotted new MagSafe chargers in use at the Apple Store that include an outer silicone ring.
In its previous statement, rather than permanent scratches, Apple said that the observed material transfer was removable through cleaning. Naturally, another part of the solution is to replace the older MagSafe chargers being used in stores with new models.
Apple also previously said that the imperfections were not only happening to the new iPhone 17 lineup; it was also found on iPhone 16 models, but of course the new phones were the ones getting all the attention.
Presumably, the new silicone ring acts as a protective layer between the aluminum of the charger and the back of the phone. Consomac speculates that this may be a stop-gap measure until new chargers are manufactured using wholly different materials.
This only really seems to be a problem with the circumstances of abuse that demo units go through on a daily basis. We haven’t yet seen actual customers at home noticing marks or imperfections caused by their own personal MagSafe accessories.
In fact, overall, the new iPhones should be more durable than ever. For the first time, the iPhone 17 features Apple’s proprietary Ceramic Shield glass on both the front and back, with the Ceramic Shield 2 front display cover offering impressive scratch resistance.
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