If you believe the reports and pictures on Reddit, there are some iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange phones that are inexplicably turning pink. There aren’t many reported cases, but enough that some have already coined the term “Colorgate.”
It’s fun to have a new “port” to consider, but what if there’s a simple, scientific explanation for these potential color shifts, and the answer has been staring us in the eye from one of Apple’s own support pages all along?
First, we reviewed the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max here and have yet to experience any fading. Even scratchgate hasn’t reached our new iPhones yet, but the tone surrounding this new issue is such that it’s worth investigating.
Let’s start by stepping back to understand the iPhone 17 Pro’s (and 17 Pro Max’s) finish, the process by which it’s made, and how it differs from the titanium finish of the iPhone 16 Pro line.
Titanium is a heavier, stronger metal than aluminum, and when anodized (an electrochemical process) it has a smooth, non-porous finish. Anodizing aluminum, on the other hand, results in a porous finish that can be bathed in a special dye that soaks color into those pores and is then specially sealed.
These differences in materials and the process by which the iPhone 17 Pro chassis is made allow for the richer iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max colors: Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue.
Anecdotally, Cosmic Orange has proven to be the more popular color, which may account for the number of reports. But how can the lovely orange fade to an almost equally attractive reddish pink?
Oddly enough, a partial answer can be found here on this 2013 PF Finishing Products post by Mark Jazefowicz, VP of Technical Services, Reliant Aluminum Products. In it, Jazefowicz writes:
“Colour anodized aluminum is widely used as a material in the medical device industry. From tool handles to trays, these reusable devices undergo regular cleaning and sterilization treatments, and it is crucial that the original finish is maintained throughout.
Several types of sterilization methods are in use today, but those incorporating hydrogen peroxide injection are particularly challenging for a color anodized finish to endure, as fading or significant discoloration typically occurs after only a few sterilization cycles.”
So according to Jazefowicz, hydrogen peroxide, a chemical occasionally used to bleach hair, is no friend to an anodized aluminum finish color.
If we needed more proof, we need only look at Apple’s own iPhone cleaning guide.
Yes, 70% isopropyl alcohol is okay, as is a 75% ethyl alcohol wipe. Even Clorox Disinfecting Wipes pass the test when used gently. But the language is crystal clear: “Do not use products that contain bleach or hydrogen peroxide.”
Apple doesn’t explain here why you should never use these solvents, but based on the information from the decade-old article, we can guess why.
Granted, this isn’t quite a smoking gun. We don’t know the exact composition of Apple’s Cosmic Orange dye or sealing process. There have been advances in dye types and “anodic coatings” that can help, at least anodized aluminum surgical equipment, avoid fading even when exposed to hydrogen peroxide.
But since Apple advises against using hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone, we can surmise that color fading could be at least one of the concerns.
By the way, Apple is not commenting on the controversy so far. But maybe their support pages speak for themselves.
Is this why the colors of the best iPhones might fade? Perhaps. Reddit posts do not describe the use of hydrogen peroxide. Most complain about sun exposure, and anodized aluminum has been known to fade in some UV light.
Put another way, nothing is conclusive, but there is a decent possibility that someone somewhere has wiped their new iPhone 17 Pro Max Cosmic Orange edition with the wrong solution.
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