Final yr, a Reddit thread emerged suggesting that the iPhone 17 Professional’s vibrant cosmic orange colour may in some way flip shiny pink and it seems it is completely true. In a earlier model of this text I examined the Redditor’s claims by attacking my telephone with varied chemical compounds and on the time I did not discover a lot distinction, however a few months on, issues have modified. And after I put my telephone towards a contemporary iPhone 17 Professional Max at MWC 2026, the distinction was clear: mine was now shiny pink. Here is what occurred and what you are able to do to guard yours.
As PCMag’s Eric Zeman famous, discoloration could be brought on by cleansing substances that have an effect on a telephone’s end, with oxidation being guilty for the colour shift from cosmic orange to scorching pink. Positive, this may technically be a fault, however in all honesty I like pink telephones (keep in mind the pink Moto Razr V3?) and the concept of a scorching pink iPhone 17 Professional stuffed me with pleasure. So I examined the speculation with varied cleansing fluids.
It is necessary to notice right here that the iPhone 17 Professional I used was purchased by CNET for the needs of testing. Had I paid over $1,000 of my very own cash, I might by no means be so reckless in smearing it with chemical compounds that would doubtlessly do it irreparable hurt. And also you should not both. If you’ll want to clear your telephone, do it safely. Disclaimer apart, let’s dive in.
Don’t do what I do. Preserve this away out of your telephone.
The chemical compounds
I first purchased two chemical compounds to check this out. Zeman explains that oxidation could have precipitated the colour to vary and that hydrogen peroxide may do that. I could not discover this over-the-counter within the UK on the time (however extra on this later), so I as a substitute purchased an “oxy-active” stain remover spray that, amongst different issues, comprises “oxygen-based bleaching brokers” which sounded preferrred. Apple clearly states, “do not use merchandise containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide” on its help web page — so, naturally, I purchased some thick bleach too.
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Oxy utility
I began by spraying the oxy cleaner on a microfiber material till it was noticeably moist from the liquid. I then liberally utilized it everywhere in the rear of the iPhone. The Reddit person with the affected telephone confirmed that it solely affected the steel components, not the glass again panel, so I made positive to focus my consideration on the edges and digicam bar.
Smearing on the chemical compounds with a material.
With the telephone effectively and really doused in chemical compounds that don’t have any enterprise being anyplace close to a telephone, I left it to sit down and take into consideration what it had performed for half-hour — after which era I wiped it dry and took a detailed inspection. Disappointingly, my telephone was nonetheless manufacturing facility orange, slightly than “what the hell have you ever performed to your telephone” pink. Time to maneuver on.
Bleach blast
I opened the bleach and, attempting arduous not to consider my days as a middle-school cleaner, utilized a liberal blob of the stuff to a material. Once more I smeared it over the defenceless telephone, concentrating once more on the steel areas. I undoubtedly ought to have worn protecting gloves for all of this, so please be sure you take higher care of your self than I do should you do something with bleach.
Once more, I gave it a 30-minute settling-in interval earlier than cleansing it off and inspecting the outcomes. The telephone remained as orange as ever, trying as field contemporary because it was the day earlier than when it was, certainly, field contemporary.
The orange iPhone 17 Professional survives, unscathed, and doubtless a bit cleaner.
Hydrogen Peroxide FTW
Whereas I could not discover hydrogen peroxide in retailers within the UK, it was available on Amazon. I purchased a bottle and, utilizing a bit of kitchen towel, rubbed some liberally across the telephone’s steel components. I did this a couple of occasions, leaving it to air dry between purposes. I used to be upset at first that I did not actually see the orange remodel into scorching pink, however over time I did discover that, in the best mild, there was a extra pinkish hue occurring.
But it surely felt delicate and in some lighting it simply regarded as orange as ever. However a couple of weeks later, throughout Cellular World Congress 2026, I in contrast the telephone with Patrick Holland’s cosmic orange iPhone 17 Professional Max and that is when the distinction grew to become wildly obvious. Mine wasn’t only a slight shift to pink, it regarded like I would purchased a totally totally different colour variant. All of the steel surfaces regarded vibrantly pink towards the orange of Patrick’s mannequin, with solely the glass components — and the non-metallic slits of the antennas — remaining orange.
Facet-by-side, it is clear that my telephone has modified colour utterly.
Is the pink iPhone 17 actual?
My first model of this text needed to conclude that possibly that vibrant pink iPhone seen on Reddit wasn’t the true deal. Or that one thing had gone incorrect inside Apple’s manufacturing and that buyer had merely purchased a fault mannequin. However lastly seeing my chemically-treated telephone towards a contemporary Cosmic Orange mannequin actually confirmed me what can occur to a telephone if not sorted correctly.
So sure, it is completely potential for an iPhone 17 Professional to show from orange to pink. However the actuality is that this is not going to be a problem for the overwhelming majority of householders, and I do not imagine this may be thought-about any type of fault on Apple’s facet. Apple’s steering could be very clear that robust chemical compounds shouldn’t be used on its telephones and admittedly, I do not suppose that is even steering that must be given. What I did — fully on goal — was to assault the telephone with chemical compounds so potent that I could not even purchase them in retailers.
When you have an orange iPhone and need to hold it that manner, my recommendation is straightforward: Do not cowl your telephone in hydrogen peroxide. You are welcome. Positive, I am being flippant and it is in fact price protecting in thoughts that hydrogen peroxide could be present in different merchandise, together with hair dyes, so it is potential you’ll have some in your palms after which choose up your telephone to reply a name with out pondering. A case will surely assist shield your telephone additional.
However in any other case I do not suppose you’ll want to fear about protecting your telephone in its authentic orange state. After all, should you merely need a pink iPhone 17 Professional then that is one other matter fully, however my steering stays that smearing your telephone in harmful chemical compounds makes no sense. It may do critical hurt to you and your telephone and also you’re significantly better off simply hoping that Apple launches a brand new pink iPhone Professional in September. And it’d — it has simply launched a pink iPhone 17E, in any case.
