iPhone 7 Plus Problems: Owners Complain of Paint Chipping Off Black Models
An increasing number of iPhone 7 owners have reported that the black finish on their phones has chipped or peeled off, even with the protection of a case and with careful handling. Apple has yet to issue an official response to the complaints.
A report by Apple Insider has the pictures and details of the affected phones. Several iPhone owners have reported that the anodized finish on their black iPhones has started to come off, revealing the shiny aluminum underneath. The small but very obvious damages to the finish have been seen around speaker holes, outside the buttons and occasionally on the wide backside of the devices.
Most of the reports have been by owners of the matte black iPhone 7 models, with an occasional report for the jet-black variant. As the Tech Times previously reported, Apple has previously cautioned owners that the jet black iPhone 7's surface "is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use." Recently, it seems that the matte black offering from Apple should have this warning too, as paint chipping issues are being reported for the supposedly more rugged variant.
The issue may be more common with the larger iPhone 7 Plus, as the Cult of Mac points out. Similar to what was reported back then with the iPhone 5, the black options for the latest iPhones are noticeably more susceptible to scratches and chips, even if the devices have been protected with cases.
In contrast, there has been no such influx of complaints on the iPhone 6, which may be due to Apple changing its process to address the issues with aluminum finish durability. However, the present generation of the iPhone may have regressed to the same problems as the iPhone 5.
So far, Apple service centers have been said to claim that the problem is "purely cosmetic," and therefore not covered under a replacement warranty. It is true that, so far, there have been no reports of the damage affecting the phone's functionality in any way. Still, a number of unhappy customers are until now waiting for a more satisfactory answer from Apple.
