Pretty noticeable in my black 12 mini. I always use the phone without hard case (just an sleeve type one for transportation) but it's impeccable apart from 2 big and white chips close to the mute button. I never saw something like that.
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iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 12/13/14/15 Paint Chipping - are we going backwards?
- Thread starter ngel22
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I love the Apple apologists in this thread. Ignore his claims. Tell him it’s not an issue. Then when people show photos of a pretty well know issue with anodizing in general, you attack words he used. How about we all stop pretending Apple products are flawless gems that can’t possibly be imperfect. There is NOTHING wrong with the OP’s phrasing. It’s especially ironic that a group of people that watch Apple related posts and news like hawks, to rush to its defense , haven’t noticed any complaints of this until now. Stop jumping over people for attacking your precious Apple and come to term with it’s just another product made as cheap as possible to make the most money possible. Just because it’s made better than most products doesn’t mean it’s not built to a price. There are going to be compromises. This isn’t a crusade. You treat people like the OP poorly because it contradicts your world view instead of treating him like a person. Imagine if we treated people with a little respect instead of being self inflated jerks that can’t be wrong. I won’t even describe this behavior as the Apple cult because back in the 90s it was a group that was out to help and join users together with positivity. Today you are all trying to unite with negativity and that isn’t going to work out long term.
That will not work. Aluminum will not accept colors when in a molten state. I worked with aluminum for my entire adult life in aircraft manufacturing. Also it is anodized coatings on aluminum used on iPhones. Aircraft uses special paints, primers
These people are the reason why Apple can keep doing what it is doing, selling us their products for more $ and less quality. They are children suffering cognitive dissonance and and Stockholm syndrome at the same time, just using my unfortunate wording to defend their blind "love" for Apple. They are part of the problem why companies screw us over and over and it is getting worse.
I can mention other things where Apple has decreased in quality, most likely saving here and there a bit, even a tiny amount will add up here and there and can make $$$ Millions in difference.
For example:
Hardware
Keyboards of today's Macs degrade way faster than the older models. They become shiny after a couple of months (and no, you can't wipe it away). I have a MBP 2015 sitting here and the keyboard is still fine with minimal degradation signs. Seems Apple started using inferior quality plastic, like I said, the savings will be probably in the cents range per device, but things will add up if you use inferior material here and there.
Batteries in iPhones and Macs have a pathetic high degradation rate compared to older models. Not only myself but countless of other users are complaining how quickly they degrade after just a few cycles. I avoid wireless charging or even fast charging. I had older iPhones that lasted more than 500 cycles and still had far above 80% (close to 90%) of its original capacity, same for Macs with 1000 cycles. The batteries in the recent Macs are just ridiculous, with some having 95% capacity after barely 50 cycles. Not to mention how much the batteries in older devices were resistant to abuse (complete discharging), do that to a a battery Apple is using today and you won't last a year before you get down to 80%. Pathetic. Apple must have switched to cheaper battery cells. Not only great in saving cost but also profitable for charging consumers for battery replacements after their warranty/apple care runs out.
Software
There was a bug persisting in Monterey until Ventura, where the Trackpad Pinch to Zoom feature stopped working from time to time (actually like 10 times per day) where you had manually go into settings and untick and then tick again the zoom in or zoom out feature so that it would work again. How can such a big issue that affects trackpad usage big time be so long ignored?
And yeah, please call it single cases or gross generalization. I have no desire to go more into detail, do it yourself and you will see it yourself. There is no therapy for cognitive dissonance.
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Right, it’s anodized aluminum. Aluminum oxidizes very quickly (basically, the aluminum equivalent of rust). The anodizing process controls how the oxidation layer forms in order to make the outer layer more scratch resistant (scratch resistant, not scratch proof). A side benefit of anodization is that the resulting oxide layer can hold dyes (not paints, it’s more like the colors in fabrics). But the dye is only held in the outer layers; if you scratch through the oxide layer deep enough, it will show through to the aluminum underneath the aluminum oxide (which will then oxidize but in an uncontrolled manner, as opposed to something like stainless steel where the oxidation resistive properties are the result of a metal alloy, so scratches don’t cause rusting). Honestly, the iPhone seems less prone to lose its color layer than cheaply made anodized aluminum, which can get some serious scratches in short order.
I have a few chips on mine (iPhone 12 Pro) but they weren't there before until I had my battery replaced at the Apple Store. I don't know if you call it chips, but it's basically where the anodized color (Pacific Blue) is missing. There are a few marks like this just along the bezel between the metal frame and the glass. My guess is when the Apple Store took off the glass to replace the battery, whatever tool they used chipped away at the color. It isn't to noticeable though, luckily.
Interesting explanation. I've wondered for some time what is the most durable color in the iPhone 15 Pro line. Apple lists the colours as: Natural, Blue, White, Black -- and it's all for titanium. Any ideas?
I'm guessing the Natural titanium color is most durable because it looks to be the one without added colour? But it's also ugly. Heh.
Anodizing on metals has and continues to be delicate.
This is a post in search of a wider problem than it is.
I suspect yet another possible agitator.
Good point. Instead, he just shipped a phone that you literally couldn't hold normally while using.
As for the Pro and its titanium case, I know titanium oxide is the most common naturally occurring form of titanium, but I don’t know how the colors hold up. I put a hard case on my 15 Pro, so I have no idea what holds its colors well. I’m partial to the blue color, though, and not just because it had the shortest wait time when I ordered the phone.
Edit: Looks like titanium is anodized quite similarly to aluminum, and it holds dyes when it does. As for what color best resembles the natural color, probably the Natural. In general, titanium anodization doesn’t seem as brilliant as aluminum, though, in the color department
Me too. I like the blue colour a lot. I'm not getting an iPhone 15 Pro (or any new phone for that matter) but that blue colour would be one I'd get, but I would have thoughts about durability
The Pacific Blue of the iPhone 12 Pro was really a very gorgeous colour.
When you use the word 'all' it means 100 percent.
100 percent of MacRumors users do not 'know' the problem OP has. That's less than all.
But there's nothing wrong with saying 'all' to mean less than all?
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What Is the Difference Between DLC and PVD Coating?
A surface coating is essential in manufacturing, but it can be hard to find the right one. Here is a brief guide to the difference between DLC and PVD coating.
I've had a iPhone since 3g and I've never had an issue of damage unless I caused it by dropping it. I would not call that an Apple issue.
If you are dropping or banging your phone against objects, then sure but normal use, no, I don't see this happening especially, if one uses a case.
And how about we have realistic expectations based on physics? This is how anodization works.
For the record, I’ve never had any issues with my many iPhones and I go caseless most of the time. Either take good care of your phone, get a case, or get a silver one. It’s simple.
Also: it’s not the end of the world. Scratches add character. Maybe stop treating your phone like it is a flawless gem and don’t mind a scratch or two.
I’ve not seen this problem. I have had my iPhone 13 for 10 months now and it looks as good as new. I have used the 6S, SE, 8, 12 Mini also previously as daily drivers and have not noticed any problems with cosmetic paint chipping.
Sounds like it’s user error with individuals being rough with their devices or dropping them accidentally on hard surfaces, perhaps?
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I work in cellular retail sales, and see dozens of well-used(loved?) iPhones every day. I definitely wouldn't say it is a widespread problem, but is something I have taken note of in the last few years.
Since the release of the iPhone 12, I have noticed that the odd device here and there will have paint wearing down at the bottom next to the speakers and charging port. Coincidentally, almost every phone that I've noticed with this issue has come out of an Otterbox Defender case which the client will always claim, "has never left the case since the day the phone was purchased."
I have never once seen this on a Pro model, which I'm to assume is due to the stainless steel chassis compared to the aluminum of the base models.
Another observation, basically every single device I've seen with this type of paint "chipping" has come from users who work in rugged environments and definitely do not take great care of their equipment. You get out what you put in.
Not any particular cause for concern, I don't think quality has been impacted in any negative way.
Since the release of the iPhone 12, I have noticed that the odd device here and there will have paint wearing down at the bottom next to the speakers and charging port. Coincidentally, almost every phone that I've noticed with this issue has come out of an Otterbox Defender case which the client will always claim, "has never left the case since the day the phone was purchased."
I have never once seen this on a Pro model, which I'm to assume is due to the stainless steel chassis compared to the aluminum of the base models.
Another observation, basically every single device I've seen with this type of paint "chipping" has come from users who work in rugged environments and definitely do not take great care of their equipment. You get out what you put in.
Not any particular cause for concern, I don't think quality has been impacted in any negative way.
The area near the charging port and speakers are typically the largest cutouts on a case. Couple this with dust and debris getting into those areas and rubbing while in the case--you got yourself some worn down paint.
Especially since they claim "has never left the case since day 1" which (likely) means they don't take it out to clean it frequently. This is going to happen with pretty much every device and isn't specific to the iPhone.