iPhone 17 Pro buyers claim Apple’s £1,099 smartphone is changing COLOUR – with the orange version turning bright pink

Apple’s new iPhone^[1] 17 Pro is packed with plenty of nifty features such as a telephoto camera and a new Camera Control button^[2]. 

But it seems the tech giant has been keeping one of the smartphone’s most gob-smacking tricks under wraps – the ability to change colour. 

In the last few days, users have been noticing the bizarre defect on ‘Cosmic Orange’ versions of the iPhone 17 Pro, which turns the phone Barbie pink. 

On TikTok^[3], one user shared footage of an affected iPhone 17 Pro, which starts at £1,099/$1,099 and has only been on the shelves for a month.

She said: ‘Oh my gosh, is this make up? The cellphones were originally orange and have become pink.’ 

It is unclear exactly what’s causing the discolouration of iPhone 17 Pro so soon after it was released.  

But Lee Elliott, chief product officer at Compare and Recycle, said UV damage or oxidisation are the likely culprits. 

‘General wear and tear can be expected overtime, but such adverse changes within days of owning a brand-new model is alarming,’ he said. 

Note the Ceramic Shield – a glass-ceramic material – has stayed largely orange. According to Apple, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone 17 Pro, making it four times more resistant to cracks

Reddit user @DakAttack316 shared photos of his iPhone 17 Pro Max with striking discolouration – from orange to pink 

The TikTok video^[4], shared by @Digi_Cell in Indonesia, has since gone viral in the past 48 hours, amassing over 2.2 million views. 

In the clip, the smartphone user turns the iPhone in her hands to reveal patchy blotches of pink on the camera bump and along the edges. 

She says in Indonesia: ‘Is the phone already oxidized like this even though the iPhone 17 Pro series hasn’t even been around for a month?’ 

Meanwhile, Reddit user @DakAttack316 has shared multiple photos of his iPhone 17 Pro Max with a similar discolouration.

And the social media commentator denied accusations that he’d used Photoshop to create the two-tone effect. 

He said: ‘I originally posted that my Orange IPhone 17 Pro Max turned Rose gold and I saw comments that said it was fake, I used photoshop, etc. 

‘So to update, the phone has turned a more solid Rose Gold color, and I could not imagine a sadder existence than photoshopping IPhone pics. 

‘Thought about maybe going to the Apple Store and seeing if I can get an exchange since I wanted Orange, not a pink IPhone.’ 

Reddit user @DakAttack316 said he thought about going to the Apple Store ‘and seeing if I can get an exchange since I wanted Orange, not a pink IPhone’

As the video and photos show, discolouration is located on the phone’s edges and camera bump, which are made of aluminium, while the Ceramic Shield – a glass-ceramic material featuring the embossed Apple logo – has stayed largely orange. 

Apple is yet to respond with official comment, but if the problem is oxidisation, it might be caused by the minerals on our fingers, according to Mr Elliott. 

He suggested using a case for the back of the phone that covers the aluminium frame, which seems to be a hotspot for discolouration. 

‘To try protect your new iPhone from inevitable damage, consider cases that have a raised lip that overlaps and extends slightly into the bezel of the screen but not too obstructive for interaction with the screen,’ Mr Elliott said. 

‘Similarly, pay attention to cases that also cover the entire camera plateau protecting the curves and edges.’ 

iPhones lose resale value if there’s anything wrong with their ‘cosmetic appearance’, the expert added – with scratches, scuffs and discolouration having an effect. 

‘Even minimal discolouration can still result in a lower grading, which means a reduced trade-in offer,’ he said.  

It’s not the only issue users have had with the iPhone 17 Pro, which is also available in a ‘Max’ model costing £1,199/$1,199. 

On X (Twitter), one user in Hong Kong shared photos of his scratched iPhone Pro in the new ‘Cosmic Orange’ colour – with a chip along the frame 

Already, users have complained that iPhone 17 Pro models are scratching and scuffing too easily – resulting in some unsightly marks^[5].

On X (formerly Twitter^[6]), one user in Hong Kong^[7] shared photos of his iPhone 17 Pro in the new orange colour^[8] with a white mark where a chunk of the frame had been chipped off. 

Another X user in Ontario, Canada, @darewecan, said he had witnessed scratches on iPhone 17 Pro models at an Apple Store, while someone else said Apple staff are refusing to replace such devices.  

In his annual scratch test video^[9], YouTuber JerryRigEverything advises customers to get a protective case for their iPhone 17 Pro models, calling ‘scratch gate’ a ‘real’ issue. 

In the clip, he demonstrates that the rectangular camera bar along the back of the Pro models can be easily nicked with coins and keys – although both prove highly resistant to bending. 

‘There’s no way to avoid the inevitable chipping unless you never set your phone down, or get a case,’ the YouTuber says.

The trillion-dollar-company is charging £1,099/$1,099 for its iPhone 17 Pro and (£1,199/$1,199) for its iPhone 17 Pro Max, which boasts a larger display and more processing power. 

The cheapest iPhone 17 model, which has a matte glass back with an aluminum frame but no Ceramic Shield on the back, starts at £799/$799, while an ultra-slim ‘iPhone Air’ is also available for £999/$999.