Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were just announced, but some early photos are showing discoloration issues on the black and blue models near the volume and action buttons. Here’s what potential buyers need to know about the different color options.
What’s Causing the Discoloration?
The discoloration appears to be due to the titanium material used for the iPhone 15 Pro models. Titanium can show fingerprints and smudges more easily than other materials.
According to Reddit users, the discoloration is likely just fingerprints and oil from people touching the demo models, not actual damage or discoloration to the titanium itself:
“It’s nothing that the Pro polishing cloth won’t solve. That will be $49.99 please.” – Reddit user
“It’s not discoloration, it’s just dirty…” – says a snarky Reddit user.
Blue and Black Models Affected
The colored titanium on the blue and black iPhone 15 Pro models seems to show fingerprints and smudges more noticeably than the natural titanium finish.
The consensus on Reddit is that this is an inherent issue with coloring titanium, and that the natural titanium finish will resist discoloration better over time.
“The colored finishes will eventually expose the raw titanium color since titanium is pretty much impossible to dye properly” – a Redditor said.
Natural Titanium Recommended
Most Reddit users recommend going with the natural titanium finish to avoid discoloration issues:
“This is why I’m getting natural. I just have a feeling it’s going to hold up better.” – Redditor.
“All I know is, my wedding ring is titanium and the brick walls can’t scratch it. If Apple pulled that off, I’d be very surprised. In fact, I know they haven’t, we really know they haven’t…😔” – Redditor
The natural titanium finish seems to be the consensus pick for longevity and avoiding unwanted patina over time.
Get a Case Anyway?
However, many Reddit users point out that most people will be putting their iPhone in a case anyway, making the discoloration issue irrelevant:
“Oh dear, it will look ugly occasionally when I’m changing/cleaning whatever case I stick on it.” – another commenter.
“Honestly who cares about a couple grease marks. 98% of us are slapping a case on these things the second we get them anyways lol.” – commenter.
So if you’ll be using a case, the discoloration may not matter much to you. But for case-less use, natural titanium seems to be the way to go.
The Takeaway
While the discoloration on the blue and black iPhone 15 Pros may just be cosmetic, the natural titanium finish seems less prone to showing fingerprints and smudges over time. So if you want your iPhone to maintain its pristine look for as long as possible, natural titanium is likely the best choice. But for the majority who use a case, color preference or availability may matter more.