iPhone 15 Pro owners report alignment defect between display and frame

iPhone 15 Pro shown in hand
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Launch day headaches are hard to avoid, even for one of the best smartphone manufacturers like Apple. And the iPhone 15 series is no different. Following its Friday release, users discovered their fingerprints can make the iPhone 15 Pro's swanky new titanium frame change color. Now some iPhone 15 Pro users are reporting an alignment defect between the phone's display and the frame edges.

Noted leaker MajinBuOfficial shared pictures of the issues on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. In addition to the iPhone 15 Pro's coloring not being applied evenly, "the screen seems not to be perfectly aligned with the edges," they said. You can see in the shared pictures that the screen juts out a little past the frame, something that's absent from the device's promotional images. 

In a follow-up tweet, MajinBuOfficial said an unnamed source at Foxconn, Apple's manufacturer, warned them "the first batch [of iPhone 15 Pros] is expected to have many defective machines." 

It seems a severe enough issue to warrant a replacement unit by Apple. As of now, Apple has yet to comment on what users should do if their phone has a misalignment defect or the possible replacement of any devices.

With the color-changing problem, Apple already responded and said any changes should be temporary. According to an updated support document about cleaning your iPhone, you can restore the original color by “wiping your iPhone with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.” The problem only affects the metal band around the outside of your iPhone, since that’s the only place your fingers come into physical contact with its titanium chassis.

To keep it from changing color in the first place (and also protect it from cracks and scratches), consider investing in one of the best iPhone 15 Pro Max cases, and stay tuned for our top case picks for the iPhone 15 Pro. Then you shouldn't have to deal with any unsightly fingerprints around the edges of your phone.

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Alyse Stanley
News Editor

Alyse Stanley is a news editor at Tom’s Guide overseeing weekend coverage and writing about the latest in tech, gaming and entertainment. Prior to joining Tom’s Guide, Alyse worked as an editor for the Washington Post’s sunsetted video game section, Launcher. She previously led Gizmodo’s weekend news desk, where she covered breaking tech news — everything from the latest spec rumors and gadget launches to social media policy and cybersecurity threats.  She has also written game reviews and features as a freelance reporter for outlets like Polygon, Unwinnable, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. She’s a big fan of horror movies, cartoons, and miniature painting.