Soon after the iPhone 17 Pro hit the shelves, numerous images and videos popped up on the internet showing scratches on the phone’s rear shell. There was widespread speculation that the scratches were due to the aluminum material underneath, which is leading to scuff marks. Apple, it seems, has a rather low-cost solution to avoid the ugly problem.
The surprising fix
Apparently, the simple fix to the scratches on demo units is salt. “In the past few days, Apple corporate contacted retail store employees, telling them that they need to more regularly clean the backs of demo units by mixing a salt substance with their normal solution,” reports Bloomberg.
It seems even if you don’t have access to Apple’s “salt substance” and “normal solution,” you can just go with regular salt and water. Over at 9to5Mac, Dylan McDonald experimented on his dark blue iPhone 17 Pro, and it did a neat job at covering the scars on the glass portion.
“I mixed up water and some sea salt and it actually did work,” he wrote. I would, however, advise against the experiment. Salt solution can corrode aluminum if you repeat this DIY cleansing on deep scuff marks. The best way forward is consulting Apple support and getting a protective case.
The big picture
Soon after reports started coming in about a potential “scratchgate” affecting the iPhone 17 Pro, a few shoppers discovered that Apple had started covering the MagSafe stands in the stores with a silicone ring. Later, Apple clarified that the scratches were a result of worn MagSafe stands.
“It also clarifies that the marks aren’t scratches, but rather material transfer from the stand to the phone that is removable with cleaning,” reported 9to5Mac. Apparently, the time-worn MagSafe stands were not only scuffing up the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, but also the older iPhone 16 series models.
Needless to say, if you’re buying an iPhone 17 Pro, make sure that you check the surface of your MagSafe charger. And to avoid the chances of scratches ruining the look of your new iPhone, put a case on it. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way over the years.
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