iPhone 17 Pro Number of hardware issues on the Pros this year is unacceptable

[kulan]

I really don't understand the purpose of these posts. This is like the 100th post on these same issues. If you don't like the iPhone and hate the direction Apple has gone in, just go by another make phone. Buy a Google or a Samsung, or whatever. I am not saying that to be flippant or anything. But Apple is not going to change anything. It's not like Apple is going to have a massive recall and go back to Titanium frame. It's not going to happen.

This is the direction Apple has decided to go in, and newsflash to some people, Apple considers the new iPhone 17 lineup to be an enormous success, just by how well it is selling. What possible reason is there for Apple to change anything. Just because some people don't like Aluminum isn't going to change Apple's current and future course.

Some people are working themselves into a tizzy over these issues and it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Life is way, way, way too short for this. Just purchase what makes you happy and be happy and content with your life. Both Google and Samsung make great phones. If you feel they have moved ahead of where Apple is currently, it's not a sin to believe that and just go with that brand and their models.

If you say you are stuck with Apple's IOS ecosystem and cannot make the switch, well yes I feel for you. But that is something that you are going to have to come to terms with, because Apple is not changing.

I’m quite happy with the Air this year. Probably the best iPhone that Apple has released since the X, as many others have said and I agree.

Trust me, I’m not asking Apple to change anything, I am already aware they are not going to do that. Not sure why you’re conflating that with me pointing out hardware issues that weren’t on the 16 series. Does it offend you that I have criticism about the Pro devices this year?

 

[Nikhil72]

The internet has made enjoying gadgets an insufferable act.

 

[digimc]

I’m quite happy with the Air this year. Probably the best iPhone that Apple has released since the X, as many others have said and I agree.

Trust me, I’m not asking Apple to change anything, I am already aware they are not going to do that. Not sure why you’re conflating that with me pointing out hardware issues that weren’t on the 16 series. Does it offend you that I have criticism about the Pro devices this year?

Sorry Kulan that wasn't really so much targeted towards you. I am in a crappy mood today. I could see Apple changing some things. The camera system seems to be an area of regression. Some people are still saying that they are getting blurry or soft photos, while others seem to not have this issue.

I can see small changes, but I think Apple is happy and content with this new design, and at least from a hardware side of things I cannot see them making many changes. Yes the Ceramic Shield and MagSafe debacle will probably be fixed on next go around.

 

[dantay]

I’m quite happy with the Air this year. Probably the best iPhone that Apple has released since the X, as many others have said and I agree.

Trust me, I’m not asking Apple to change anything, I am already aware they are not going to do that. Not sure why you’re conflating that with me pointing out hardware issues that weren’t on the 16 series. Does it offend you that I have criticism about the Pro devices this year?

Does it offend you when people disagree with you?

Apple don’t really manufacture anything, it’s all outsourced and made to their design and spec.

The 16 Pro had plenty of cosmetic issues and camera issues too.

As you’ve joined the forums very recently have a look back at older threads and you will see very similar issues occurring with every iPhone release.

If you look really long and hard at any product you will find small inconsistencies, unfortunately that’s life.

Nothing is perfect.

 

[kulan]

Sorry Kulan that wasn't really so much targeted towards you. I am in a crappy mood today. I could see Apple changing some things. The camera system seems to be an area of regression. Some people are still saying that they are getting blurry or soft photos, while others seem to not have this issue.

I can see small changes, but I think Apple is happy and content with this new design, and at least from a hardware side of things I cannot see them making many changes. Yes the Ceramic Shield and MagSafe debacle will probably be fixed on next go around.

What concerns me is exactly that kind of inconsistency, many people in this thread say they have no issues, many people elsewhere say they do. I’ve also heard some people talking about the cameras not picking up definition in photos that previous generations could, however I’m sure that can be fixed with software, hence it falls outside the scope of my discussion here.

Not sure what you mean about the Ceramic Shield and MagSafe debacle though?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I really don't understand the purpose of these posts. This is like the 100th post on these same issues. If you don't like the iPhone and hate the direction Apple has gone in, just go by another make phone.

This is so unproductive and disrespectful to those having real issues crop up.
Your solution is "suck it up or move on?"

 

[kulan]

Does it offend you when people disagree with you?

Apple don’t really manufacture anything, it’s all outsourced and made to their design and spec.

The 16 Pro had plenty of cosmetic issues and camera issues too.

As you’ve joined the forums very recently have a look back at older threads and you will see very similar issues occurring with every iPhone release.

If you look really long and hard at any product you will find small inconsistencies, unfortunately that’s life.

Nothing is perfect.

Not really, I welcome people disagreeing with my opinions. Makes no difference to me. I’m happy for all the people in this thread that don’t have any of these issues with their Pro phones.

It’s definitely frustrating to buy more than one myself and get these problems more than once though.

 

[shady16]

I agree it’s not a defect but it’s an issue in my book. I don’t think any of the past aluminum iPhones have dented this easily.

The thing people aren’t accounting for is the previous aluminum phones were not as heavy as this years pro max and had smaller sides as well and the heavier the object the harder it falls

 

[digimc]

Not sure what you mean about the Ceramic Shield and MagSafe debacle though?

I say debacle because I think Apple was caught a little off guard with the circle marks and superficial scratches that the MagSafe at the Apple stores were causing. Even though I believe this to be a non issue, I think it caught Apple off guard and it is something that they would have rather liked to have avoided in retrospect.

Even though Apple's press release on this issue made sense, and many of these marks were the result of old worn out MagSafe chargers and many of these marks do come off once they are wiped down, it was still another small issue for people to magnify and use as a 'hot take' against Apple's quality and durability as it pertains to the new 17 Pro models.

To me it was much ado about nothing, but it was another issue that has been overblown, to some extent here on MR's, that has nothing to do with the iPhone's actual durability.

 

[sarcasticgamer]

No problems here

 

[G5isAlive]

So far, all the hardware issues known with the 17 Pro series:

I wish people understood that "you not having a problem" is indicative of nothing in the broader scope of a potential issue with a given product.

How is it you plan to evaluate the broader scope if all you want to do is listen to complaints? Fractions or percentages require both a numerator AND denominator, so knowing how many people who are NOT having a problem is just as necessary as knowing how many claim a problem.

To actually comment on the specifics of THIS thread...

OP, you don't list KNOWN problems, you list complaints given by a handful of people. This is at best anecdotal evidence. Hence people are responding with their own anecdotal evidence of not having the problems.

Aluminum is aluminum. Known problem or known design constraint?

I agree it’s not a defect but it’s an issue in my book. I don’t think any of the past aluminum iPhones have dented this easily.

How many past aluminum iPhones have weighed as much as the current iPhone Pro Max? (hint: none). F= M x A.

and again, what you think is fine, but others think differently. Without objective data we are just left with opinions.

To have such anomalous sounds that weren’t on any of my previous devices or anyone else’s that I know personally, on a brand new phone that I paid well over $1000 for, that is not acceptable to me.

By previous devices you mean previous generation of iPhones that you have owned? Of these how many had a 4x optical zoom and all three rear cameras had 48 Mp sensors? Again, none. Past data on previous devices may not be applicable.

As plenty of photographers have pointed out, cameras with moving parts often have some noise associated with them, and the bigger the part the more likely this is. Is a click a hardware issue or the actual new design? No one in MR knows, but to label it an issue without any real problem associated with it, seems to be a reach to me.

What these types of threads prove to me is that the vast majority of MR commenters have zero idea what anecdotal evidence means and how much weight it carries (or more precisely doesn't carry).

By all means list any issues you may personally have, but some people will object to extrapolating it to a known hardware issue with no real data to support that statement.

 

[zkap]

Are these your personal experiences or did you read about it in these forums?

Read about it on here. Why?

 

[kulan]

How is it you plan to evaluate the broader scope if all you want to do is listen to complaints? Fractions or percentages require both a numerator AND denominator, so knowing how many people who are NOT having a problem is just as necessary as knowing how many claim a problem.

To actually comment on the specifics of THIS thread...

OP, you don't list KNOWN problems, you list complaints given by a handful of people. This is at best anecdotal evidence. Hence people are responding with their own anecdotal evidence of not having the problems.

Aluminum is aluminum. Known problem or known design constraint?

How many past aluminum iPhones have weighed as much as the current iPhone Pro Max? (hint: none). F= M x A.

and again, what you think is fine, but others think differently. Without objective data we are just left with opinions.



By previous devices you mean previous generation of iPhones that you have owned? Of these how many had a 4x optical zoom and all three rear cameras had 48 Mp sensors? Again, none. Past data on previous devices may not be applicable.

As plenty of photographers have pointed out, cameras with moving parts often have some noise associated with them, and the bigger the part the more likely this is. Is a click a hardware issue or the actual new design? No one in MR knows, but to label it an issue without any real problem associated with it, seems to be a reach to me.

What these types of threads prove to me is that the vast majority of MR commenters have zero idea what anecdotal evidence means and how much weight it carries (or more precisely doesn't carry).

By all means list any issues you may personally have, but some people will object to extrapolating it to a known hardware issue with no real data to support that statement.

How is the speaker noise issue anecdotal if hundreds of people are reporting the same thing online? How is it anecdotal when you bring it up to Apple Support and they literally tell you that this is a known issue their engineers are trying to find the cause of?

The idea that this “isn’t a known issue” is plain delusional and sounds like denial.

 

[Thor_9]

I mean Apple literally put silicone rings on the MagSafe stand chargers in Apple Stores because the phones were all scratched on the back in every store. Plenty of YouTubers have had scratches and dents within the first couple weeks of use. I’d say they’re definitely guilty of some more hardware quality issues than usual this year, but hey, you can have your own opinion too.

What happens in a store to a display item isn’t real world use. The devices could have been abused.

Youtubers…lol.

 

[Thor_9]

Apple seemed to notice the issue and addressed it already so that leads me to believe it’s pretty noticeable.

They addressed it for people like you.

 

[kulan]

They addressed it for people like you.

You sound upset about that..?

 

[zkap]

It's odd that people would be frustrated that others are discussing hardware issues in a device. If you own a 17 Pro and have none of these issues, great, good for you and enjoy your phone. Reading some of the posts here makes me think these people worked on making the 17 Pro and are taking it personally, or they are stockholders.
We went from "put a case on it and ****" to people now doing math when discussing scuffs on the new iPhone.

 

[G5isAlive]

How is the speaker noise issue anecdotal if hundreds of people are reporting the same thing online? How is it anecdotal when you bring it up to Apple Support and they literally tell you that this is a known issue their engineers are trying to find the cause of?

The idea that this “isn’t a known issue” is plain delusional and sounds like denial.

So you have narrowed down your four known hardware issues now to just one?! Well that's progress, though some call it moving the goal posts. Going to edit your OP accordingly? Didn't think so.

And, there is a difference between a software issue and a hardware issue. Hint: If it can be addressed by software, and there is every reason to believe it is a software issue and will be corrected as Apple Support suggests.

So. To summarize. Maybe one, but not 4 known hardware issues and even that one may be software.

Is the sky still falling down?

 

[G5isAlive]

It's odd that people would be frustrated that others are discussing hardware issues in a device. If you own a 17 Pro and have none of these issues, great, good for you and enjoy your phone. Reading some of the posts here makes me think these people worked on making the 17 Pro and are taking it personally, or they are stockholders.
We went from "put a case on it and ****" to people now doing math when discussing scuffs on the new iPhone.

Misrepresentation, people are providing data. Why do you just want to hear people with complaints?

p.s. Math counts.

 

[jz0309]

Misrepresentation, people are providing data. Why do you just want to hear people with complaints?
.

Cause it's what counts here on MR ...

 

[mathiasinthe314]

The Pro line has predominantly Samsung displays so it’s not much of a lottery on those. The base 17, Air, and Pro Max are the ones that people mostly play the screen lottery with. But anyway, do you have an Air or a Pro now after all that?

I have a Pro now (albeit in a more protective case this time). We ceremoniously destroyed and disposed of the box yesterday so that I can't 14 day return it again. I love both the Air and Pro for different reasons, but I decided the Pro better suited my needs by a reasonable enough margin to stick with it. The love and connection to the Air is visceral for me, though. Might be back next year depending on improvements.

I have been reading some of the other replies and wanted to say sorry if I came across dismissive of your concerns. There are enough people discussing them, that they are real and valid (even if I've had good luck).

 

[zkap]

Misrepresentation, people are providing data. Why do you just want to hear people with complaints?

p.s. Math counts.

But the people who are reporting hardware issues are also providing data. I want to hear from everyone, so I don't get why some have the need to call out people who are reporting issues. However, if I had to choose, I'd prefer to hear from people with complaints, but not because I enjoy reading about problems. Simple, it's self-interest. I have more use reading about issues because this informs me of the potential problems I may have if I ever purchased the device.
Besides, people will often post their complaints looking for a solution or to vent, because these things are expensive.

How does the math count here exactly? If someone has crackling/buzzing sounds or a chipped plateau, they can rest easy because they're in the "very small minority" of users with that problem? What good does that do people who have a hardware defect?

 

[zkap]

We ceremoniously destroyed and disposed of the box yesterday so that I can't 14 day return it again.

Hahaha, nice.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Oh okay, so you just willingly ignore the countless people who have posted pictures of their dented and scuffed phones not even a month out from release, got it!

• First off, that number of posters is not "countless;" and it is a tiny finite number relative to the many millions of new iPhones sold.

• Secondly those posters are mostly just clickbaiters crying for attention. If they had meaningful concerns they would return their purchases to Apple within the two week return window instead of whining to the 'net.

• Thirdly, I beat my caseless iPhone 17 PM hard and see no such "dented and scuffed phones."

So yes I "just willingly ignore the" finite not "countless people who have posted pictures of their dented and scuffed phones."

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Maybe you’re right, but would you be happy if your brand new phone was scratched straight out of the box?

Unless it was a very obvious scratch deep enough to reduce the trade-in-to-Apple value I could care less.