Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro models, hailed for its eye-catching Cosmic Orange finish, is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons - the bold shade is inexplicably fading into a rosy pink, leaving early adopters stunned and speculating. Reports from users across platforms like Reddit and X suggest the issue stems from poor sealing on the oxidized aluminum frame, affecting isolated batches.
A Reddit user has shared images of an orange iPhone 17 Pro Max exposed to sunlight, where swaths of the back panel had shifted to a grapefruit-like pink. The phone's body had solidified into a 'solid Rose Gold color,' sparing only the MagSafe ring its original orange hue.
Users across social media have several theories, "This seems to be a batch with a poor sealing coat after oxidising aluminium, resulting in phones oxidising with time and changing colour." No exchanges or fixes have been reported yet, leaving owners weighing Apple Store visits.
Apple's titanium frames, introduced for durability in the iPhone 15 series, were meant to resist fading better than stainless steel predecessors. But this isn't the first color conundrum—past iPhones have seen anodization woes from sweat or UV exposure. Experts point to manufacturing variances: uneven clear-coat application post-anodizing could accelerate oxidation, especially in humid climates like India's.
For now, Cosmic Orange loyalists are advised to avoid direct sun and monitor for spread. Apple support channels are silent, but with the iPhone 17 lineup's strong sales (despite backorders), a swift batch recall looks unlikely, unless reported cases escalate.
