Bad news for those in Cupertino. Following the market launch of Apple’s new models, the iPhone 17 Pro – iPhone 17 Pro Max, user complaints have quickly started to appear. Even the display phones in iThing stores are already showing signs of wear, but what is happening? iFixit has subjected the models to microscopic investigation and found the key: the models are wearing out very quickly and very visibly, experiencing what is known as ‘Scratchgate.’ The replacement of titanium with aluminum seems to be the problem, as it has many more limitations, as explained by the chief teardown technician, Shahram Mokhtari.
The company also relied on the analysis of Cal Poly mechanical engineering professor Davide Niebuhr, who limited the problem to the iPhone’s camera, which has sharper edges. The response to this decision to change materials is due to the difficulties in obtaining titanium from Russia, according to Elizabeth Chamberlain, iFixit’s sustainability director. Despite this setback, iFixIt highlights the speed at which Apple has adopted right-to-repair regulations, facilitating the work of companies dedicated to this field.
Bad news for Cupertino
As every year, the launch of Apple’s new iPhone models was eagerly awaited by users and the tech world in general. Therefore, a high-quality product is expected, in line with the high price paid for it. However, the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models seem to have failed to meet expectations, and they are causing a problem that has led to discontent among Apple users.
Material change
Apparently, Apple has changed one of its main materials: it has replaced titanium with aluminum. This is causing what is known as ‘Scratchgate,’ meaning that it easily shows scratches. Even the display models in iThings are showing these signs of wear. Initially, they only occur around the raised camera assembly on the back of the phone, and the company iFixIt has decided to investigate why.
iFixIt
After subjecting the new models to microscopic investigation, they have observed that the change in these materials causes the new anodizing, which creates a layer of oxide around the metal to protect it, to be not as effective as it has been so far with titanium. According to iFixIt’s lead disassembly technician, Shahram Mokhtari, “Scratchgate is real; unless you put a case on your phone, that camera plateau is probably going to see some damage.
The problem seems to be limited to the Pro and Pro Max.” They have also been examined by a mechanical engineering professor at Car Poli, David Niehbur, who has restricted the issue to the sharp edges of the camera, which seem to be the most prone to damage.
Why has Apple changed materials?
According to statements by Elizabeth Chamberlain to The Register, “We have heard from several people in the metallurgical industry that there are geopolitical issues with titanium. I understand that much of the titanium source has been Russia. With the sanctions, Apple is not able to obtain titanium in the same quantities. They basically use as little as they could in the iPhone Air and still get the benefits of the frame’s strength without using a ton of it”.
Right to repair
Although this is causing a stir among consumers and within the tech world, the truth is that repair companies recognize other types of improvements that Apple has implemented in the new models. One of them is that the battery is now screwed in rather than glued, which makes it easier to repair. They have also incorporated a vapor chamber that cools the internal systems of the phones, which favors faster operations under heavy processing loads.
On the other hand, they still have the issue of making it easier to repair the USB-C charging port or speaker, which requires heavy work with dozens of screws. However, in general terms, the company iFixIt acknowledges the speed with which Apple has adapted to the right-to-repair regulations and gave a score of 7 out of 10 in terms of repairability. According to Chamberlain, “We have truly, honestly begun to be impressed by what we are seeing in Apple products, in terms of obviously improved attention to design for repair”.