iPhone 15 Pro Black & Blue Colors Show Discoloration Around the Volume Buttons

At the Wonderlust September event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 series, where one of the fewer new things about the phone was it’s Titanium chassis (Pro only). This was marketed as something of a breakthrough feature with Apple presenting it as the start of a movie, talking about how “this is the same alloy used on the Mars Rover.“

Titanium was undoubtedly talked about a lot at the event, but a hands-on test afterward seemed to showcase some pretty obvious downsides to this design choice. First, the design appears to be highly sensitive to fingerprint smudges and leaves behind a greasy texture after a bit of use. But that’s not all.

Upon closer inspection of the sides, the phone appeared to have slight discoloration near the volume and action buttons. Keep in mind that these are brand-new phones, so this is concerning. At this point, before the release, we don’t know if this is an actual issue, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re considering buying an iPhone 15 Pro – seems to be limited to the Blue and Black colors though.

Keep in mind that Apple marketed titanium as being durable and strong. However, iPhones don’t NEED stronger side rails. When you drop an iPhone, it is usually the glass that bears the fall, not the rails (they bend, but never break). The glass on the Pros is the same Ceramic Shield glass.

This discoloration could be due to extensive use and may be easily wiped off. However, if the reports are true, Apple would be put on the back foot, as it did not need to switch from stainless steel to titanium. Sure, titanium feels more premium, but it also comes with its own issues.

Apple has not learned from its past mistakes, particularly with the elegant Midnight M2 colorway, which imprinted anything that touched it. The same is the case with the Pros now—it’s a proper fingerprint magnet!

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.