Apple Admits the Glossy Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Are Scratch Magnets

Apple’s highly anticipated ‘See You on the 7th’ event has just concluded and left us reeling with the numerous iPhone 7 revelations left in its wake. We have confirmed the much-lamented removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack, the inclusion of a revamped, force-sensitive home button (powered by a haptic ‘Taptic Engine’), the upgraded dual-camera system, and water-resistant quality of the latest crop of iPhones.

While much may have changed, the consensus appears that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will largely feel familiar to avid iPhone users. But the most obvious and eye-catching addition that Apple has brought to the new iPhone is the Jet Black glossy finish, which will be offered alongside black, silver, gold and rose gold. It looks amazing.

Unlike the standard black variant, which is a lighter, brushed matte, the Jet Black finish is very shiny and very glossy. It’s also a much truer and deeper black. According to Apple’s dedicated iPhone 7 page, “the end result is so purely and continuously black, you can’t tell where the aluminum ends and the glass begins. The dark side, indeed.” (By the way, that is the second Star Wars reference Apple has made in describing its latest flagship smartphone. See if you can find the first in this article!)

Achieving this spectacular midnight black effect was a labor of love for Apple’s design guru Jony Ive, who employed techniques such as “rotational 3D polishing” and “magnetized iodized particle baths” in the process.

The downside is that Jet Black also scratches really easily. The iPhone 7 web page’s fine print explains that while the jet black iPhone 7’s finish is so glossy that it may become a scratch-magnet: “The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use.”

The disclaimer basically warns potential buyers that carrying the Jet Black iPhone 7 around in their change-filled denim pockets sans protective casing is a recipe for grief. Buy a case if you’re committed to buying an iPhone in this color.