I Used the iPhone 17 Pro Max Without a Case for a Year. Here’s How It Looks Now

When Apple announced the new iPhones last year, it claimed to deliver “industry-leading durability.” However, within a few weeks of launch, the internet had a collective meltdown about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max demo units looking scratched up in stores and a few units facing discoloration. Reacting to the internet theories, Apple told CNET that the scratching was due to worn-out MagSafe risers, which transferred material to some iPhone models’ backs. (You could remove it by simply cleaning the back.) On the other hand, CNET’s Andrew Lanxon chemically treated his Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro to test the discoloration claims. He concluded that it “wasn’t going to be an issue for the vast majority of owners, and I don’t believe this can be considered any kind of fault on Apple’s side.” So I put my iPhone 17 Pro Max through 11 months of caseless use to find out how daily life affects its cosmetics. I didn’t put a case, skin or screen guard on it — just a ring stand on its back. After almost a year of daily use with multiple accidental drops and pocketing with another phone, my cosmic orange iPhone is as cosmically orange as it was on day one (for the most part). There’s the expected color chipping and dents from drops, but the real surprise came when I put it against my iPhone 16 Pro (with similar usage). It helped put things in better context. Here’s how my iPhone 17 Pro Max looks after a year of no-case use. The Ceramic Shield 2 protection is real The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the left, is noticeably more scratched than the iPhone 17 Pro Max after a year of use without a case.Prakhar Khanna/CNET The iPhone 17 models (and the iPhone Air) have an upgraded Ceramic Shield 2 protection for “3x better scratch resistance,” according to Apple. The 3x remark isn’t something you can instantly quantify. I could only see the difference when I put my iPhone 17 Pro Max next to my iPhone 16 Pro. I used both devices for a period of 10 to 11 months without a screen guard. So they’ve gone through similar use: being kept in the same pocket as another phone, placed screen-down on a table and accidentally dropped. My iPhone 16 Pro’s screen looks several times worse in comparison. It’s covered with scratches, both minor and deep. The soft scratches are gathered all over its cover glass. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a few minor ones here and there but nothing prominent. It looks pristine next to its predecessor. I can’t feel the scratches with my thumb on either screen, but the current-gen screen is smoother to scroll, while the iPhone 16 Pro feels comparatively rougher. Ideally, glasses with better scratch resistance are prone to shattering easily, but my iPhone 17 Pro Max has fared far better than expected. I don’t have the exact number of times that I’ve dropped my phone; it’s slipped out of my pocket onto a bus floor, a marble floor, as well as onto concrete on the streets. I’ve dropped it from waist-height and my clumsiness has led to dents on its sides, but no screen damage. Each time I dreaded I had broken the display, my iPhone came out unscathed. That doesn’t mean cracking is impossible — CNET’s Bridget Carey broke her iPhone 17 Pro Max’s screen soon after buying one after simply dropping it on the street. But from my time with it, I’m quite impressed. Discoloration and color chipping There are a few nicks on the phone, such as this small chip on the camera.Prakhar Khanna/CNET Turning to the backside, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have Ceramic Shield protection instead of glass. The layer consists of nano ceramic crystals embedded in a glass matrix, which is, according to Apple, four times more resistant to cracks than the iPhone 16 Pro’s back glass. While no two drops are the same, I’ve broke my 16 Pro when it fell on concrete flooring. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has managed such drops just fine. It has dent marks on the top and bottom right corners, but nothing worrisome. It’s survived more than I expected it would. To be clear, I don’t go around smashing my phones on different types of floor; it’s just hard to keep them in my hands (or pocket) when I’m on the road comparing two models. While there’s some discoloration, none of the wear affects the phone’s functionality.Prakhar Khanna/CNET Due to the nature of my work, I often carry multiple phones with me — usually with two in the same pocket. Possibly from rubbing against another phone, I notice there’s some color chipping on the edges of my iPhone 17 Pro Max’s camera island. As for discoloration, over time, the cosmic orange polish has lightened in certain places. It’s most noticeable on the back side’s curved corners. There’s a permanent silver mark on the bottom-right side of my iPhone and a fading orange polish on the other side. The corners show the most discoloration from my time using the phone without a case.Prakhar Khanna/CNET It’s the only cosmetic change that I reckon has occurred from daily use and not one of those accidental drops. The magnetic ring stand I often attach to the back hasn’t caused any discoloration either. While it doesn’t cause any durability or usability issue, this is one thing to keep in mind if you’re planning to use a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro without a case. Overall, I’m impressed with how my current-gen iPhone has aged in 11 months. The color chipping and dents were expected from my clumsy caseless drops. I also expected the screen to gather soft scratches all over its cover glass, but it surprised me in the best possible way. While some may want a case to truly protect the phone’s body, I’m glad that it simply looks a little worn from typical wear and tear. While you may want a case to better protect the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s body, using it without one has largely left the display unaffected.Prakhar Khanna/CNET But it’s the Ceramic Shield 2 protection on the display that provides the most noticeable durability upgrade. It’s fantastic how clear my screen still looks after nearly a year. If Apple continues to include it on the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, they’d be the first iPhones I can confidently recommend using without any added screen protection.