The iPhone 17 Pro Max Orange Model Is Mysteriously Turning Pink
Frustrated Apple users took to social media to reveal their iPhone 17 Pro Max was mysteriously turning from orange to pink.
Published Oct. 20 2025, 9:05 a.m. ET
If you picked the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Apple’s bold Cosmic Orange color because you wanted something bright, different, and just a little rebellious — well, surprise ... That orange might not stay orange for long. Reports are popping up all over TikTok, Reddit, and tech forums that the iPhone 17 Pro Max orange model is mysteriously turning pink—and no one seems to know exactly why.
It started as a trickle. A few users on Reddit and TikTok showing off their phones weeks after purchase, noticing a rose gold hue creeping in around the edges. Then the comments started flying. Is it real? Is it Photoshop? Is this another Apple scandal, or just an optical illusion? Before long, it had a name: Colorgate.
Some iPhone 17 Pro Max orange units are turning pink, and users are divided.
The first big visual confirmation came from a Reddit post by an Apple user who uploaded a photo of their Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Unfortunately, it looked a little less like a vibrant cosmic orange phone and a little more like something they picked up during a Valentine’s Day sale.
“The phone has turned a more solid rose gold color,” they wrote, responding to earlier accusations that they had edited the photo. “I wanted orange, not a pink iPhone.”
Visually, the change is striking. The aluminum frame and camera bump appear to have shifted dramatically in hue, while the back panel stays orange, like a half-dipped creamsicle. Whether you think it’s pretty or not, there’s no question the cosmic orange hue is turning pink. According to Wccftech, the likely culprit is oxidation: a reaction between the aluminum surface and external elements like moisture, heat, or even skin oils.
Turns out, not everyone is upset. In fact, on TikTok, some users are downright excited by the transformation. One person wrote, “How do I make mine turn pink? Omg I have mine since day one and it’s not pink — I need it pink now!” Another joked, “Apple fans be like: That’s a feature.” Some users even started calling it the “Grapefruit Edition.”
On Reddit, some joked about selling the phone as a collector item.
Once the images hit Reddit, the chaos really took off. While some people were genuinely concerned about potential defects, others saw an opportunity. “Yep, sell it to some eBay psycho who just has to have a pink iPhone,” one Redditor joked. Another chimed in: “iPhone 17 Pro Max, Grapefruit Edition, the only one in the world. I can see $5k easy. If it goes viral then $20k isn’t out of the question.”
While the idea might seem wild, it isn’t unheard of for defective products to become collector items. This is especially true if the particular item exists in limited supply.
So far, Apple has made no official statement on the issue. No recall. No exchange program. Nothing in the support forums.
Could it be a manufacturing inconsistency? A batch defect? Or is it really just an aesthetic fluke that only affects a handful of users? That’s still unclear. What is clear, though, is that some users feel let down. Especially those who chose orange specifically and now feel like their phone is morphing into something they didn’t pay for.