Last week, users at the forum MacRumors discussed whether the black iPhone 5 would be susceptible to scratches in its finish. Since then, the discussion has evolved to include a poll and iPhone 5 owner experiences.
While online polls can easily be manipulated, from the discussion it appears a number of users experienced nicks, scuffs, or scratches on the sides of their iPhones. The issue appears to be most common and noticeable with the black iPhone 5, but some owners of the white iPhone 5 have also seen scuffs.
Many of the concerned users report they were able to exchange their phone for an identical model which was free of defects. Nonetheless, this has raised concerns about how well the finish of the iPhone 5 will hold up over time. We will continue to monitor “ScuffGate” reports as more information becomes available.