A color-fading worry tied to the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange is resurfacing ahead of the iPhone 18 Pro. A Weibo leaker warns buyers to watch for fading again, and one explanation points to how aluminum anodization—and its sealing step—can leave color vulnera
A new iPhone launch doesn’t just bring new features—it also brings a familiar kind of dread for buyers: what if the finish doesn’t last.
That fear is now circling the iPhone 18 Pro after a long-running headache with the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange model. After the iPhone 17 Pro went on sale, consumers began complaining about the coating on the Cosmic Orange device, with reports that it shifted away from its original tone.
One leaker is warning that history could repeat itself. The Weibo account Fixed Focus Digital posted a warning on June 12 aimed at people planning to buy the iPhone 18 Pro, saying they should be careful about a color-fading issue with upcoming models.
The issue tied to the earlier device was described as a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro changing color to a pinkish hue within weeks of launch. It quickly turned into a problem Apple had to deal with in the months that followed. raising a simple hope among buyers: that the company would learn and fully prevent it from happening again.
Fixed Focus Digital’s warning cuts against that hope.
The claim is not just about a similar problem in theory. The article says Apple Store staff worldwide see “a few” cases every week related to the iPhone 17 Pro color issue. That detail adds weight to the warning: if the problem is still showing up regularly. it may not be a one-off manufacturing glitch.
The Weibo post also brings another rumor into the mix. Fixed Focus Digital reiterates an earlier claim that the iPhone 18 Pro will use an aluminum casing. rather than a titanium-based design that other leakers believe could happen. The connection matters because the most likely technical explanation offered here is tied directly to aluminum processing.
Apple has not issued any explanation for the color issue. But the suspected cause centers on the aluminum anodization process used to create the phone’s colored exterior.
The sequence starts with cleaning the aluminum using a non-corrosive solution to remove grease and fingerprints. Then an etching step removes surface defects and clears the naturally forming oxide layer. After that comes anodization, where the aluminum is submerged in an electrolytic bath to form a porous aluminum oxide layer. That porous layer is what can absorb the exterior color.
From there, the process turns into a critical lock-in step. Because the porous layer is described like a sponge, it’s sealed using a chemical and physical process intended to “lock in the color” and block other materials from getting into the oxide layer.
If the sealing isn’t applied properly, liquids can be absorbed and affect the color of the oxide layer. That can be as basic as water—or as common as finger oils from using the phone.
The timeline described in the complaints doesn’t sound like a slow fade that takes years. The initial complaint was reported to have emerged over a few weeks after launch. Even so, the article says it’s still lingering today, even if it isn’t a major issue—just one that continues to crop up.
And if Fixed Focus Digital’s warning is right, the iPhone 18 Pro could be carrying forward the same vulnerability—one tied less to a new feature, and more to chemistry that’s supposed to stay stable long after the box is opened.
iPhone 18 Pro iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange color fading anodization aluminum Apple Store Fixed Focus Digital Weibo leaker mobile hardware rumors
So iPhones fade now? Cool cool…
Wait Cosmic Orange turned pink?? I saw something like that on TikTok and I thought it was just a lighting thing. If Apple stores are seeing a few cases every week then that’s kinda wild.
reply to 1: This is why I just get black. But also, wouldn’t the “sealing step” be the same on all the metals? Like why would only orange do this?? Sounds like Apple saying sorry again.
I’m not even sure what anodization means but if the color can change within weeks then what are we even paying for. Maybe people are using weird cases and cleaning stuff and it reacts? But then it says Apple Store staff see cases every week which sounds like they know about it already. Also Weibo leaker… so take it with a grain of salt, but still, my 17 Pro is fine (knock on wood).