This year’s iPhone 17 Pro series adds Xingyu Orange, which is one of Apple’s most recognizable colors in recent years. Recently, some users have reported thatTheir iPhone 17 Pro Xingyu orange gradually turned to pink,Related topics sparked heated discussions. Some netizens believe that the discoloration of mobile phones is caused by improper cleaning by users, but the truth is not as simple as imagined.
To figure out what's wrong with Apple's orange iPhone, you first need to understand how its color is made. Behind this is a complex process system.
First of all, Apple abandoned the titanium body of the iPhone 16 Pro series and switched to aluminum alloy. This adjustment not only makes the phone lighter, but also improves heat dissipation performance. However, aluminum alloy cannot be colored with traditional spray painting process and ensure durability, so Apple has found a new way to achieve the coloring effect by using aluminum alloy anodizing process.
The first step in the anodizing process is "cleaning": using a mild, non-corrosive solution to remove residual grease and fingerprints from the fuselage processing. This step is crucial. Only by ensuring that the surface of the aluminum alloy is clean can we proceed to the next step - etching.
The etching process removes defects and naturally formed oxide layers on the surface of aluminum alloys, usually through alkaline soaking and spraying, and ultimately makes the metal surface smooth and uniform.
Next is the "anodizing" step: immersing the aluminum alloy body in the electrolyte and connecting the anode. The current will push oxygen ions to adhere to the metal surface, forming a porous aluminum oxide layer.
This layer of porous structure is the key to coloring, and is also the core step for Apple to achieve Xingyu Orange color matching. At this time, the oxide layer on the surface of the aluminum alloy is like a sponge, which can perfectly absorb the dye, and finally presents the orange color we see.
So far,The aluminum alloy fuselage has been basically dyed orange, but the last step of "sealing" is crucial, and the fuselage must be sealed.Sealing is a complex chemical and physical process. Here is a brief explanation. This step will close the "sponge-like" surface of the aluminum alloy, locking the color inside and blocking the intrusion of external impurities. The reason why some iPhone 17 Pro fades is likely to be a problem in this link.
Sealing the metal body of the iPhone 17 Pro is the key to ensuring the durability of the color matching. If the sealing process is not in place, the porous oxide layer will be completely exposed, making it susceptible to erosion by various factors in daily life.
To make matters worse, the porous aluminum oxide structure is so absorbent that anything it comes into contact with may affect the color of the phone—whether it’s air, oil from your hands, or clutter in your pockets. Once liquids such as water and grease seep into the pores, they may cause color changes or fading, and may also weaken the anti-corrosion layer originally used to protect the appearance of the fuselage.
During the anodizing process, there are many possibilities for improper sealing: For example, the wrong composition ratio of the sealing solution will lead to uneven colors and patches; if there is chemical contamination during the sealing process, some pores will not be closed, causing discoloration; even the body that is not sealed at all will directly absorb substances such as grease. It’s worth noting that even if you don’t use an oxidizing agent like hydrogen peroxide, anything you use to clean your iPhone may cause discoloration.
In addition, sunlight exposure is also a major trigger: unsealed anodized surfaces will fade even if they are exposed to the sun for a short period of time. Failed sealing or poor workmanship can lead to body corrosion, wear and appearance deterioration, which is completely consistent with the problems we have seen with some Xingyu Orange iPhones. If there is even a slight flaw in Apple's sealing process, it will be almost impossible for users to prevent the body from discoloring.
Many materials engineers also hold the same view: the problem is more likely to lie in the sealing process, and sunlight aggravates the discoloration process. Apple is aware of the problem: affected users have successfully replaced their phones with new ones. At the same time, Apple is also investigating the matter to find out the root cause and scope of the problem.
According to multiple sources within Apple's service chain, the discolored iPhones were recycled and sent back to the engineering team for evaluation, but it is still unclear how to deal with them later, and the specific plan will depend on the root cause of the problem.
At present, this problem only affects some models, otherwise there will not be only a few exposed cases. If you like Xingyu Orange, you can rest assured to buy iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, and there is a high probability that you will not encounter similar problems. Even if you are unfortunately infected, Apple will provide replacement service.
