Some iPhone 17 Pro owners report a screen gap near the earpiece

A handful of iPhone 17 Pro owners are noticing something odd near the top of their devices. The screen appears to be separating slightly from the aluminum frame, particularly on the left side of the earpiece speaker. While this isn’t flooding online forums just yet, enough people have spotted the issue to suggest that there could be some quality control issues.

User Antiax kicked off a discussion on Reddit’s r/iPhone17Pro community three days ago after discovering what looked like a manufacturing defect on their week-old phone. The screen wasn’t sitting flush with the frame, creating a small but visible gap where dust could accumulate. The phone was in pristine condition otherwise, protected by a case and screen protector since day one with no drops or damage. What started as a single complaint quickly turned into something bigger when other users chimed in with similar experiences.

Several Redditors confirmed they had the same problem after checking their own devices. CaseyFiles wrote they weren’t sure what to do after noticing the identical gap, while BigSundae7529 from Norway and No-Budget4929 both reported seeing the same thing. User lilfreaksh0w said they’d assumed it was just a design quirk on day one and noticed dust collecting in the gap without a screen protector. The thread now has over 100 comments, with people like fr1skGG saying the issue had been bothering them from the start, and thethrowaway19901999 realizing their phone had it too.

Things get interesting when you look at how Apple Store employees are handling this. Jacorpes took their phone to an Apple Store and was told the gap was normal, though they remained concerned about water resistance. Another user, Phillebel, received the same explanation during their visit. Yet some owners are getting replacements.

Independent-Aioli682 posted about a similar issue on r/iphone 28 days ago and later updated that Apple replaced their phone after an in-store inspection. Ecstatic_Housing18 also got a free replacement. Here’s the image they shared in the comments:

They also appear to have posted about the problem on Apple’s support forums.

The affected area seems to be specifically where the screen curves to accommodate the speaker grill. Some users say the gap is barely noticeable in photos but becomes obvious under close inspection in daylight. User EviidRthefatAss reported having two iPhone 17 Pros with the exact same gap, and they noted not seeing the problem on Pro Max versions.

Several people, including isRRis, who checked both their silver 17 Pro Max and their wife’s orange 17 Pro, confirmed their phones were completely flush with no gaps.

That said, it’s worth pointing out that small gaps between the frame and the screen are normal in most cases. Just about every product has some degree of variation during manufacturing. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time we’re seeing complaints about this. In 2020, there was considerable buzz about the screen-to-body gap on the Pixel 5. Google said it was normal.

Then there were also similar concerns being raised with the iPhone 12 series. Zollotech, a popular YouTube channel, explained the situation perfectly at the time. They also noted that small gaps are normal and will not even pose any risk to the water resistance rating.

Unless there’s an abnormally big gap, there’s no reason to panic. However, if you notice a gap as well as the screen lifting up, that might be a cause for concern. In such a situation, the consensus seems to be taking it to an Apple Store sooner rather than later. Since most affected users are still within their return window, getting a replacement or at least an official inspection makes sense.

The responses from Apple appear inconsistent right now, with some stores calling it normal and others offering replacements. Given that some people only noticed the problem after reading these threads, it’s worth grabbing a flashlight and checking the area around your earpiece speaker in good lighting.