iFixit zooms in on reports of an iPhone 17 Pro scratch problem

The iPhone 17 Pro successful Cosmic Orange.

Apple’s new, anodized aluminum iPhone 17 Pro phones person drawn attraction for reportedly being casual to scratch astir the camera “plateau,” and iFixit has investigated the contented successful microscopic item successful its teardown video for the phones.

Here are immoderate pictures showing conscionable what those scratches look similar nether a integer microscope:

iFixit talked to David Niebuhr, an technologist and prof of mechanical engineering, who has an mentation for wherefore scratches astir the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera plateau instrumentality retired truthful overmuch with spalling harm that didn’t look successful tests of different areas. According to Niebuhr, the occupation is the crisp borderline of the camera bump wherever the anodization process isn’t arsenic even, arsenic he says, “Apple could person prevented this by making a much gradual curve and avoiding a comparatively crisp corner.”

iFixit adds that unless you enactment your iPhone 17 Pro successful a case, the camera plateau is “probably going to spot immoderate damage” astatine immoderate constituent during its lifetime. As for repairability, iFixit gives Apple recognition for a screwed-in battery, but criticized requiring users to region the surface for astir repairs — thing Apple avoided connected the new iPhone Air.