After the iPhone 17 scratch issue, here are six more Apple scandals you forgot about

Apple’s shiny new iPhone 17 has barely been out for two weeks, and it’s already landed the company in yet another scandal. Social media is flooded with complaints about the latest models scratching far too easily, particularly the Pro and Pro Max versions in darker or more vibrant colours.

Even display units in Apple stores have shown visible damage within hours of being handled. It’s been dubbed ‘scratchgate’, but this certainly isn’t the first time Apple’s carefully polished image has cracked. Here are some of the biggest iPhone scandals you might’ve forgotten about.

Credit: Apple

Antennagate, 2010

The iPhone 4’s sleek new external antenna looked cool, until people realized holding it the wrong way cut off calls completely. Apple eventually handed out free bumper cases and settlement checks of a whopping $15 (£11), but the damage to its reputation was already done.

Bendgate, 2014

that time when Samsung mocked Apple about the iPhone 6 bendgate situation pic.twitter.com/AH00f0JHLc

— Holly – I like tech (@AnxiousHolly) June 29, 2024

Ahh, the rose-gold iPhone 6. This ultra-thin model turned out to be a little too flexible. Viral videos showed the phone completely bending in tight pockets, forcing Apple to replaced bent units and reinforce the design.

U2-gate, 2014

I want a full documentary on why Apple put that fucking U2 Album on everyone’s iPhone

— Ian Hecox (@SmoshIan) August 17, 2023

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Here’s a reminder of then Apple thought everyone wanted a free U2 album. Spoiler: We didn’t. The unsolicited download annoyed millions of people and became an embarrassment. Even U2’s Bono had something to say about the stunt: “I had this beautiful idea and we kind of got carried away with ourselves.”

Great, thanks.

Touch Disease, 2015

Following bendgate, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus holders found their screens flickering and becoming unresponsive, an issue which led to a repair program costing people £149 per device. Apple blamed “hard impacts” but was hit with lawsuits over the design flaw.

Batterygate, 2017

Funny how the new @Apple iPhone comes out and all of a sudden old iPhone batteries are not lasting after the latest update 😆

— Matthew Bowater (@MBowater) September 25, 2025

In 2017, Apple admitted to secretly slowing down older iPhones to “preserve battery life and unexpected shutdowns”. The company was accused of pushing customers toward upgrades, and Apple eventually paid hundreds of millions in settlements across the US.

Siri Eavesdropping, 2019

This one was definitely the creepiest. Reports revealed Apple contractors were listening to Siri recordings, and a lawsuit accused the company of recording users’ private conversations without consent, capturing snippets that later triggered targeted advertisements.

In response, Apple said: “Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning.” Ok Apple… give us nothing.

With the recent Siri lawsuit, this meme couldn’t be more true. pic.twitter.com/pXHEJWB01g

— I Hate Apple (@iHateApplee) January 8, 2025

Apple has proven time and again that even the world’s biggest tech giant isn’t immune to scandals. The only question: How many Apple iPhone scandals will it take before customers stop lining up every September?

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Featured image credit: Canva