Within days of Apple releasing the iPhone 17 series, the infamous ‘Scratchgate’ controversy emerged – new iPhone 17 demo units were found to be getting easily scratched at the Apple Stores. While the initial doubts were pinned on the poor build quality and inferior paint job of the iPhones, Apple was quick to address the concerns – it wasn’t the poor paint job but the MagSafe chargers at the Apple Stores that did the damage.
Now, Apple wants to quickly address this before it escalates further. Apple Stores are reportedly implementing a rapid, stop-gap measure to address the “Scratchgate” affecting its new flagship smartphones. The company is adding a small silicone ring to the MagSafe display chargers used in its retail locations to prevent the devices from being scuffed.
Apple Scratchgate addressed: Thank you silicone ring
The in-store modification, first reported by the French site Consomac, involves placing a silicone ring around the MagSafe charging pucks. This is believed to be a temporary workaround designed to reduce contact between the metal edges of the display charger and the back of the phone until a newly designed, permanent MagSafe display unit can be manufactured and distributed globally.
While Apple had previously indicated plans to replace all worn-down MagSafe display chargers, the immediate application of the silicone ring suggests an urgency to protect the new devices from further damage, both physically and strategically. Apple implemented a major design change with the iPhone 17 lineup, going for a aluminium unibody construction on the iPhone 17 Pro variants and a slim iPhone Air – it won’t like to tarnish the image by using the old MagSafe chargers.
The MagSafe display stands were first rolled out across Apple Stores starting in 2021, following the introduction of MagSafe charging with the iPhone 12. Ever since then, five new iPhones have arrived, but the MagSafe chargers continue to remain the same.
iPhone scratchgate: How it started
The problem first surfaced with the launch of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models. Users and analysts quickly noted that the new phones appeared prone to scratches. This issue became particularly noticeable in Apple Stores, where display units were observed developing scuff marks from the standard MagSafe charging stands (also called risers).
While Apple attempted to downplay the issue initially, asserting that the marks were merely a “transfer of material” from the stand that could supposedly be wiped clean, the public uproar led the company to pursue a solution for the issue.