Some iPhone 12 models have lost color from their aluminum chassis, according to a new report from Svetapple.sk, which contains photos of a PRODUCT (RED) iPhone 12 model that is noticeably colored.
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The side of the iPhone 12 near the on / off button has faded to an orange hue and there is a clear demarcation where the red color is worn.
Svetapple.sk says that the iPhone was used in a transparent case, and that friction of a hand was not a factor, although it is not clear whether the case itself could have caused the problem.
There are similar reports of fading of users of iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2. MacRumors reader t101, for example, shared photos of an iPhone 11 with a dramatic loss of color at the edge. The iPhone model was also in a transparent case. While many of the reports focused on the Red iPhone models, the fading was less frequently seen on iPhone 11 models in different colors.
Some MacRumors readers have speculated that the color fading is due to UV exposure made possible by the obvious case, but the problem is likely to occur more widely if it is a UV exposure issue. It has also been speculated that the problem may be caused by a chemical reaction in a case, but there is no clear explanation.
There are a limited number of reports about color fading, but this is an issue that apparently has been going on for years, as there are also complaints about the iPhone XR. Apart from the iPhone 12 photos shared by Svetapple.sk, we have not yet seen similar reports of color loss on other iPhone 12 devices, and this may be a manufacturing error that is not widespread.
Apple considers the fading of color likely to be a cosmetic issue, so it is not known if devices suffering from color loss will be replaced.