When it comes to the iPhone, Apple is no stranger to controversy. From the iPhone 4’s ‘Antennagate’ to the infamous ‘Bendgate’ issue surrounding the iPhone 6 Plus, users of Apple’s flagship handsets have had to contend with plenty of hardware issues over the years.

That’s certainly been the case so far for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, which have come under continuous fire since launch day for a handful of durability issues despite debatably offering the best iPhone experience of any Apple handset in years.

The first controversy, ‘Scratchgate’, concerned the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max’s new aluminum frame, which covers much more of the phone than last year’s titanium chassis and is also a fair bit softer, which has led to chips and scratches for some users.

Though TechRadar’s Editor-At-Large Lance Ulanoff wasn’t too worried by these reports, I can’t shake the image of independent tech journalist Becca Farsace’s iPhone 17 Pro, which, in her review, looked pretty beat-up after just a week and a half of use. Still, these concerns alone weren’t enough to get me to stop recommending the phone.

‘Scratchgate’ has died down a bit as the iPhone 17 series hits its stride and begins its year in the spotlight, but now it seems that the Pro’s aluminum frame could be back to cause some new issues. Enter ‘Colorgate’.

Several user reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro is actually changing color over time – most notably the new Cosmic Orange color option, which is apparently shifting from a vibrant orange to more of a crimson or even dark pink color. One Reddit thread from user DakAttack316 puts it succinctly: “[The] orange iPhone 17 Pro Max that turned Rose Gold.”

Facebook user Jaquel Hollimon reported a similar issue with their Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, which they say faded to a Rose Gold-like color after sun exposure (via GSMArena)

Now, I’ve always been a fan of Apple’s Rose Gold devices, but I’d be pretty annoyed if I’d saved up more than a thousand dollars for a new iPhone only for my chosen finish to start slowly disappearing. There’s also a TikTok video from user digi_cell floating around the internet that showcase the same phenomenon.

Apple hasn’t issued any official statement about ‘Colorgate’ yet, which leaves us to theorize about the root cause of the problem. It’s also worth clarifying that, for now, these reports are few and far between.

Considering Colorgate’s causes

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max use an anodized aluminum finish, which, in theory, gives them a brighter color and greater resistance to corrosion.

Lee Elliot, chief product officer at second-hand phone marketplace Compare and Recycle, says the true cause has yet to be pinned down: “There is no definitive answer right now as to what is causing the discoloration of these iPhones so early into their lifecycle, [but] early theories suggest UV damage or oxidation as the key culprits.”

Elliot adds: “This could lead to the iPhone 17 Pro holding the least value by the time the iPhone 18 series arrives on the market, and being valued significantly lower when traded in.”

In my personal opinion, the most compelling theory so far is that UV light is affecting the color of the new iPhones. A Reddit comment from user PCBen, who claims to have managed demo units at an Apple Store in the past, says that older Rose Gold iPhones would become darker and more saturated in their coloration over time, even indoors. The user account from Jaquel Holliman on Facebook also supports this theory, though this is all well within the realm of online conjecture.

It’s generally advisable to keep all electronics out of direct sunlight, but it seems like a lot to ask users to keep their handsets away from UV light altogether. And, if ‘Colorgate’ stories continue to roll in, this could honestly stop me from recommending the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

I’ve always believed that the aesthetics of a smartphone really matter – it’s likely to be a person’s most-used device and should feel as good to look at as it does to use. Furthermore, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at a whopping $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999, so any kind of serious wear this early on is a bad sign.

Compare and Recycle’s Lee Elliot adds that the degradation seen in ‘Colorgate’ could affect trade-in value, too: “Looking at recent pricing data, the new iPhone 17 Pro in good condition […] can be traded in for £717 on average between all three storage capacities. Whereas for the one in poor condition with moderate signs of use, the best trade-in offer is £518 on average.”

With all that said, I’m not sure there’s enough evidence to suggest that ‘Colorgate’ is a widespread issue yet, so the above is all still pretty conditional. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this story, so please do get in touch or leave a comment below if you’re an iPhone 17 series user who’s been affected by this discoloration.

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