Apple defended this design choice, telling 9to5Mac the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera plateau edges “have similar characteristics to the edges of the anodized aluminum cases on other Apple products, including other iPhone models and MacBooks.” The company maintains these edges are durable and undergo rigorous testing, though it acknowledges users “may see normal wear and tear, including small abrasions, over time.”
For what it’s worth, extensive testing suggests Apple’s claims about durability are spot-on broadly speaking. The iPhone 17 lineup, as well as the iPhone Air, benefits from Corning’s new Ceramic Shield 2, which covers the front of all four new iPhone models and has substantially improved scratch resistance compared to previous generations. The iPhone Air has particularly impressed in bend and scratch tests, maintaining structural integrity despite its ultra-thin profile. You can watch JerryRigEverything’s video on that to see it in action, it’s quite impressive.
