It’s the launch day of the iPhone 17. Customers globally are queuing at their nearest Apple stores to acquire the latest smartphones from Apple: the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 series.

However, just a few hours post-launch, Apple users began posting on social media about something peculiar.

Some of the brand new iPhone 17 Pro devices showcased in Apple Stores were already marked with scratches.

“Demo unit iPhone 17 Pro scratches on day 1…(it’s not even 24 hours yet)” a user shared on X along with images of the damaged devices. “Use a case right away if you want to avoid this kind of problem. I’m really frustrated with the quality here.”

Pictures and videos of the scuffed in-store demo iPhone 17 Pro models quickly circulated online, and some X users are already posting pictures of their own scratched phones, although these posts cannot be verified.

According to Bloomberg’s Apple expert Mark Gurman, the outlet encountered scratched iPhone 17 Pro devices in-person at various spots worldwide, including Apple stores in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London.

Gurman mentions that it’s not just limited to the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and black iPhone Air were also found to be “susceptible to scratching.” The iPhone 17 Pro models were also vulnerable to a circular mark on their backs left by Apple’s MagSafe charger.

Naturally, there’s a straightforward fix for scratches: Begin using an iPhone 17 Pro case immediately.

Is this the reason why a black iPhone 17 Pro is missing?

When Apple unveiled its new iPhone 17 series, numerous Apple enthusiasts observed that a black iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max was noticeably not included in the lineup. Historically, a black iPhone has been a standard color option, often regarded as the default choice for many Apple users. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available solely in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.

Gurman posits that the easily scratchable back of the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could clarify the lack of the black iPhone 17 Pro.

This year, Apple opted to substitute the titanium body of the iPhone 16 Pro with an aluminium unibody for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. Anodized aluminium is known for its susceptibility to scratches, and these blemishes are far more apparent on darker-colored devices.

The observation that Bloomberg only found scratches on the back of the black iPhone Air, which is made with a Ceramic Shield unlike the Pro and Pro Max, supports this hypothesis.

Apple is unlikely to face any sales issues stemming from this problem. The company has previously dealt with scratch-prone iPhone models. However, this could finally shed light on why there isn’t a black iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max this year.