You’ve probably seen it by now. That new “Cosmic Orange” color for the iPhone 17 Pro was a show-stealer at the keynote, right? It was easily the most talked-about finish, and I know tons of people who waited weeks for their pre-order to ship.
Well, hold off on your order… or at least check the return policy.
Reports are now flooding forums and social media showing that these brand new, very expensive phones are… fading. And they’re not just fading a little bit. They’re turning PINK.
Welcome to “Orange-Gate”
It’s all over the place. Users are posting pictures of their “Cosmic Orange” phones, not even a month old, with the aluminum frame and camera bump looking more like a washed-out “Rose Gold.” The weirdest part? The glass back and the area around the MagSafe ring often stay the original color, making the phone look splotchy and, frankly, broken.
And it might not just be orange. A few reports are now popping up that the “Deep Blue” models are having a similar, though less dramatic, fading issue.
So, What’s Going On?
No one knows for sure yet, but the internet has its theories.
- A Manufacturing Flaw: The most likely culprit seems to be the new anodized aluminum process for this color. The theory is that the final sealing coat was defective on some batches.
- UV Exposure: Some users swear it happened after their phone was in the sun. If basic sunlight can ruin a $1,100 phone’s finish, that’s a massive problem.
- Cleaning Products? A few people tried to blame users, saying they must be cleaning their phones with bleach. But Apple’s official support page only warns against bleach or hydrogen peroxideβwhich most of us aren’t using anyway.
So far, Apple has been completely silent. No press release, no official statement. Just some quiet reports of users managing to get replacements at Apple Stores.
This feels like a huge misstep, especially on the “hero color” of their biggest product.
What do you think? Is this a massive “Orange-Gate” brewing, or just a few isolated cases getting blown out of proportion?
More importantly, if you bought a Cosmic Orange or Deep Blue 17 Pro, IS YOURS FADING? Let us know in the comments!
