This isn’t the color of money.
Despite costing over $1,000, the new iPhone 18 Pro is sending some shoppers into buyer’s remorse, with reports that the so-called state-of-the-art devices are beginning to fade.
Apple fans have taken to social media to complain that the $1,199 device, which dropped on September 18, was showing signs of discoloration around the three rear cameras.
The color drain was particularly pronounced in Burgundy and Black models.
“Hey everyone, I noticed that the area around my camera lenses looks slightly lighter/pinkish compared to the surrounding camera housing,” declared one user. “There is no oil, residue, or dirt on the phone, and I’ve cleaned the area carefully. I’m also not seeing any scratches, dents, or physical damage.”
An accompanying photo showed the Burgundy phone’s triple lenses ringed with slightly pink halos.
“I have the same thing on Burgundy Pro Max,” declared another. “Everyone that’s saying you just need to wipe it off is wrong, it does not wipe off. It’s a discoloration on the unit.”
Others claimed their iPhones were unintentionally two-toned upon arrival, ruling out the effects of normal wear and tear or improper cleaning. “My black iPhone 18 Pro Max came in the exact same way,” complained one bummed-out customer.
“Mine looks exactly the same,” lamented another. “It was that way out of the box. I figured I would clean it off when I got home. The stains are not going away, no matter what I’ve done.”
Some said they’d already requested a full refund.
“Mine is horrible. Already on its way back to Apple,” wrote one dissatisfied techhead.
Coincidentally, customers who’d bought the silver or pale blue “glacier” models didn’t report any pigment problems.
This isn’t the first time an iPhone has caused a pigment panic.
Apple customers complained that the iPhone 17 Pro‘s Cosmic Orange model had changed to pink within weeks of its debut.
Why?
AppleInsider chalked up this defect to the colorization process.
Both the 17s and the iPhone 18 Pros undergo anodization, which involves submersion in an electrolytic bath to form a porous aluminum oxide layer.
This infuses the structure with the pigment, theoretically creating a coat that won’t come off.
Meanwhile, an improperly applied seal can leave Apple devices susceptible to contaminants such as water or skin oils, any of which can affect the hue.
Some leakers claimed that Apple had failed to address the problem, suggesting that future models — such as the iPhone 18 — would be vulnerable as well.
