iPhone 15 Pro can change COLOUR if you don’t use a case, Apple admits
If you’re thinking of splurging on Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you might want to consider grabbing a case.
The tech giant has admitted that the new titanium frame may temporarily change color without protection.
Although the highly anticipated phones have only been on the market for a few days, reports are already circulating online that simply holding them could cause the metal casing to change color – suggestions that Apple has now officially confirmed.
Social media users have shared photos of the new phones, showing significant discoloration, with the metal sidebands picking up fingerprints and oil from the user’s hands.
One frustrated user tweeted that the color distortion issues were “pretty wild considering the price of this technology,” while another said they would “probably buy the 15 pro for a first time iPhone” but were “worried that that frame” would become discolored. .
If you’re thinking of splurging on Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you might want to consider grabbing a case. The tech giant has admitted that the new titanium frame may temporarily change color without protection
In a support document for the new iPhone 15 range, Apple said that “for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the oils from your skin may temporarily change the color of the outer band.”
The reason for this problem is that, unlike the cheaper iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the more expensive Pro range uses lightweight titanium instead of stainless steel.
Although this material promises to be ultra-strong and super lightweight, the metal can discolour through routine use.
Titanium has the interesting ability to exhibit ‘interference colors’, which can cause its surface to resemble a rainbow when heated.
Through a process called anodizing, the surface of the titanium reacts with the air and produces very thin layers of oxides that scatter light and give the metal an incredibly colored finish.
However, when you touch a piece of titanium with your bare hands, thin layers of oil from your fingers stick to the surface and cause the same effect, scattering the light in an ugly, oily rainbow.
According to Associate Professor Walter Navarrini of the Polytechnic University of Milan, one of the main disadvantages of using titanium is the “chromatic change that greasy traces of oily substances cause on the surface.”
Social media users have shared photos of the new phones, showing significant discoloration, with the metal sidebands picking up fingerprints and oil from the user’s hands
“The fingerprints look shockingly bad,” one user wrote alongside two photos of the discolored phones
However, if you have already opted for the more luxurious model, there is no need to panic, as the metal is not permanently discolored.
As Apple says, wiping the frame with “a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth” will restore the phone’s original appearance by removing the oils that are causing the problem.
Keeping titanium clean is a problem that Apple has been struggling with for several years.
Back in 2021, the company obtained patents for specialized treatments of titanium alloys in preparation for creating new finishes for the iPhone, MacBook, iWatch and iPad.
Earlier this year, Apple also filed patents for an oxide coating that hides fingerprints, intended to reduce the unsightly appearance of oily stains on the new products.
Still, the problem is clearly far from solved, as Apple’s previous titanium product, the Apple Watch Ultra, also experienced discoloration issues.
Despite these issues, the titanium frame offers significant weight reduction benefits.
The 5.8-inch iPhone 15 Pro weighs just 187 grams, a full 9% lighter than last year’s similarly sized, 206-gram iPhone 14 Pro.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, meanwhile, weighs almost 20 grams lighter than its previous version, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but is also slightly thicker.
Apple’s latest offerings, which cost £999 – £1,499 for the iPhone 15 Pro and up to £1,599 for the Pro Max, are certainly priced to match their high-tech build.
The newer models also feature a handful of other major upgrades, including a more advanced camera, faster screen refresh, and a more powerful chip.
In another big change, Apple’s latest products have also ditched the familiar lightning charging cable in favor of a USB-C port, after coming under pressure from the EU to make the switch.