Some iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange models are turning pink, while Deep Blue variant getting discolored too

If you shelled out for an iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange, you probably expected a phone that seriously stands out. But it seems a potential flaw will make the phone stand out a bit more than expected. A bunch of users are realizing their orange phones are slowly taking on a new look, one that’s way more pink than they’d signed up for.

One Reddit thread that has caught everyone’s attention is from user DakAttack316. Some even suspected it might be a Photoshop job, given how big a color shift can be seen. The aluminium housing is practically rose gold, while the glass orange section remains in its original color. The OP has shared multiple images, check them out in the embed below:

But they aren’t alone. A few other users with Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro’s have also shared images showing their devices turning more pink than orange.

Some people are debating whether hand sweat, sunlight, or just a bad batch is to blame, but whatever’s causing it, it’s definitely not what the Apple showcase promised. If you’re feeling a bit cheated, you’re not the only one. A few have even gone to Apple Stores hoping for an exchange. Spoiler: you’ll get the same color again, but if it acts up, they’ll swap it once more, according to people on this thread.

Deep Blue fans aren’t escaping unscathed either. Those phones are sprouting weird whitish rings right around the camera lenses, and it’s not just fingerprints or grease.

People tried wiping and even got out the isopropyl alcohol, but nope — once that ring appears, it’s sticking around. Some say the marks were there straight out of the box, so it’s probably just how the anodized aluminum reacts to, well, life.

We’ve seen color drama before, though. The Pink iPhone 16 had its own bleeding issues, and iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium sides reportedly went darker from a bit too much handling (Apple even warned about it last year). Point is, iPhones going off-script with their color isn’t a brand-new thing, but it sure seems more obvious this time around.

Oddly enough, there’s a possible clue from way back in 2013 — Mark Jazefowicz, a technical expert in anodized aluminum finishing, flagged that hydrogen peroxide is basically kryptonite for colored aluminum (h/t Tech Radar). It’ll fade the color, sometimes after just a few cleaning cycles.

Apple’s official cleaning guide is pretty specific too: go ahead and use 70% isopropyl alcohol or Clorox wipes, but strictly avoid anything with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. They don’t spell out why, but after a decade, the connection’s easy to draw.

Maybe someone out there wiped down their new Cosmic Orange with a cleaning solution they shouldn’t have, and that started the fade. But it’s important to note: the majority of complaints on Reddit aren’t even about cleaning. They blame good old sunlight, or just bad luck.

So, is this really why the color is running? There’s nothing concrete yet. We don’t know Apple’s exact dye recipe or their anodic coatings, and maybe those medical-grade advancements don’t make it into every shiny gadget. Still, Apple is silent, but the support guidance gives us something to consider.

All in all, the faint blue rings might just be a “normal” side effect of anodized aluminum’s moods, but pink Cosmic Orange phones are another matter. Dropping over a thousand bucks on a phone that won’t hold its color? That’s a tough pill to swallow.