Khaberni - Since the first pre-order weekend, the iPhone 17 series has achieved remarkable success for Apple, with three out of four models repeatedly selling out throughout December.
The base model iPhone 17 was a surprise, experiencing much higher demand than its predecessor. The iPhone 17 series contributed to Apple's dominance of the smartphone market in 2025, and this sales success continued into the first quarter of 2026.
Despite this great success, the iPhone 17 series is not perfect. Users have complained about multiple issues, starting with the "Scratchgate" crisis that emerged at the start of sales, to various performance and durability issues, according to a report by the technology news site "BGR," which "Al Arabiya Business" viewed.
Apple has addressed some complaints related to the iPhone 17 series through software updates and provided explanations about some "Scratchgate" cases, improving performance. However, some issues may continue to annoy iPhone 17 owners.
"Scratchgate" crisis with additional details
Apple stores were crowded with customers when the iPhone 17 series launched in September 2025. Some customers recorded videos showing how easily the iPhone 17 Pro models could be scratched on the back, leading to the spread of the term "Scratchgate".
Users demonstrated that the glass back was easily susceptible to scratches.
Apple clarified that the visible scratches on the back were primarily due to dirt, as some materials could transfer from "MagSafe" holders, giving the impression that the glass panel was easily scratched. However, the company confirmed that the damage that could occur to the camera after an accidental drop was real.
But Apple pointed out that some signs of wear and tear are normal, in other words, irreparable.
The concerns associated with the "Scratchgate" crisis significantly subsided later, but concerns about manufacturing quality reemerged a few weeks later.
Some owners of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max who chose the "Cosmic Orange" color, which has been very popular in several markets including Asia, discovered that the anodized aluminum frame had changed color from orange to pink.
The cause of this color change is still unclear, as well as how many users are affected. Some speculate that long exposure to ultraviolet rays and the use of cleaning materials containing peroxide could be behind the problem.
Currently, no solution is available for this issue, at least for devices already sold to users.
Aluminum dents
Apple surprised buyers by switching from titanium frames to aluminum in the iPhone 17 Pro models, along with introducing a new design for the external chassis.
The metal chassis extends towards the back to completely cover the camera unit, while the back glass panel has become smaller in size. Coupled with the more durable "Ceramic Shield 2" front protection layer, the iPhone 17 Pro models were expected to be highly robust.
Drop tests after the series launch showed that the phones could withstand falls without the glass breaking, though dents and scratches appeared on the aluminum frame. Other tests showed that the screen could shatter depending on the angle of the fall and the nature of the surface.
The conclusion was that the glass was still breakable, so it is advisable for users to purchase protective accessories such as protective covers and screen protectors.
The problem with aluminum is that it can dent when the phone falls, even with a protective cover. Numerous photos and videos posted by angry users online showed this type of damage spoiling the phone's appearance.
While the iPhone screen might remain intact without breaking, strong impacts could damage the metal frame, especially at the corners. With scratches that occur from use around the rear camera area, these issues revealed that the shift to aluminum posed unexpected challenges related to durability.
Although these problems are not widespread, they can directly affect users, as a phone with dents will lose part of its future value when it is replaced or resold.
Unexpected battery issues
Veteran iPhone users may be familiar with battery life issues that typically appear after upgrading from an older phone or after installing a new iOS update. In these cases, the battery life may be less than expected, and the phone may heat up after the initial setup or following the software update.
While this issue isn't usually worrying unless it persists for more than a day or two, it occurs with all iPhone models, not just the iPhone 17 series, due to the new system working in the background to index the phone's contents.
Despite these issues being anticipated, some iPhone 17 users in the past months have reported strange issues related to battery charging.
For instance, some users encountered a sound issue when using the phone while charging; the speakers would emit a buzzing sound or constant interference. Disconnecting the phone from the charger solved the problem, but this is not a practical solution for users who want to listen to music or play content while charging.
Another more troubling issue may affect iPhone 17 users, as the phone may refuse to recharge via cable after the battery reaches 0%.
This is particularly frustrating since some iPhone 17 models support faster charging speeds compared to previous versions.
The solution seems relatively simple, but it could lead some users into a state of anxiety and frantic online help-seeking, requiring the phone to be charged using a wireless charger.
As for users who do not own a "MagSafe" charger, they may need to purchase one or borrow a charger to resolve the issue. The real cause behind this problem is still unknown, and it may recur.
Slow iOS 26 experience
With videos circulating showing a less smooth performance of iOS 26 on iPhone 17 devices, it seems that Apple needs to improve the system experience for all iPhone devices, not just the 2025 models.
Some users complained about slow performance and stuttering animations on iPhone 17 devices, although Apple devices use some of the most powerful mobile chips currently available.
The camera experience might also occasionally slow down, and the phone's temperature might rise more than usual when using 5G networks or during charging.
Rumors suggest that one of the main focuses of iOS 27 will be enhancing stability and performance, which might help resolve some ongoing software issues that users have complained about, if these reports are accurate.
Since the launch of iOS 26, coinciding with the release of the iPhone 17, Apple has continued to fix software issues through updates, addressing cellular and Bluetooth connectivity issues and CarPlay interruptions in iOS 26.0.1, as well as resolving issues with "Apple Intelligence".
On the other hand, some issues might be due to installing iOS based on old backups containing errors, which might only affect some users.
In these cases, installing a clean version of iOS 26 might resolve these issues.
iPhone Air
The iPhone Air might be a source of disappointment for a specific user group, those who desire an iPhone with a large screen and an ultra-thin body.
Apple had to make several major compromises to achieve this super-thin design in 2025.
The iPhone Air comes with a smaller battery and is available in some versions with only an eSIM option. Also, the phone contains a single speaker instead of the dual-speaker system found in most other iPhone models.
However, the most annoying issue might be the camera capabilities, as the phone includes only one rear camera instead of at least two lenses as is the case in the rest of the iPhone 17 models.
These compromises collectively affected the demand for the iPhone Air, especially with its starting price of $999.
Conversely, the base model iPhone 17 offers an experience close to the iPhone 17 Pro for $799, while the starting price for the iPhone 17 Pro is $1099.
For this reason, the quantities of iPhone Air rarely sold out during weekly stock follow-ups of the iPhone 17 series, while the quantities of the base model iPhone 17 continued to sell out until December in some markets.
There doesn't seem to be a real solution to the current issues of the iPhone Air, but rumors suggest that Apple might launch a second generation of the phone that addresses some of the current criticisms.
The iPhone Air 2 is expected to come with dual rear cameras, but it may not arrive before 2027.
