TL;DR
- The popular Cosmic Orange color on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max is reportedly changing to a rose gold or pink hue for a small percentage of users.
- Several users report that their phones have changed from orange to a rose gold hue, possibly due to solvent use or UV exposure.
- Apple has quietly replaced affected units. Official response is still pending.
The iPhone 17 series is one of Apple’s most successful releases in recent times. Despite the phones being available for over a month now, many models are still routinely out of stock, indicating continued strong demand. Case in point, the new Cosmic Orange color on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max still has a shipping wait time of one to three weeks, depending on the storage variant. The saturated orange color is catching the fancy of many users, but if you have one or are considering buying, you should be aware of the possibility that it may turn rose gold, potentially by accident.
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Reddit user DakAttack316 shared that their Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max had changed colors, turning into a hue that is almost rose gold-like.
The user claimed they did not do anything special to the phone. At the time, this was brushed off as an edited image, but now, more users (1, 2) are reporting that their Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pros are also turning into the same rose gold hue.
This color-changing behavior doesn’t appear to be widespread enough, but with three reports, it’s clear that it’s happening to a small percentage of users.
As to why the iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange is turning pink, the running theory is that people are using strong solvents, potentially peroxide-based, to clean the metal frame. This can compromise the oxide layer and cause discoloration. While I wouldn’t put it past people to do so despite the risks to their phone, there’s also a chance that this could also be the result of prolonged UV exposure, which can cause the anodized aluminum oxide protective layer to change color. As you can see in the above images, the orange glass panel remains largely unchanged.
If you are experiencing this discoloration, please contact Apple support. As one Reddit user notes, the company has replaced the phone when they saw the issue, but they replaced it with the same Cosmic Orange color.
We had reached out to Apple for comment, but the company has not responded to our questions. We’ll update this article if and when they do so. Until then, refrain from cleaning any phone with a solvent; instead, just use a damp microfiber cloth.
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