So things were looking up for consumer electronics giant Apple (AAPL) for a while there. It was rolling out new hardware, customers looked interested…everything you might want to see out of a major company’s new launch. Then the complaints started, and a new term floated around social media: “scratchgate.” The news gave investors a bit of a chill, and Apple shares slipped fractionally in Tuesday morning’s trading.
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“Scratchgate” refers to an unexpected new phenomenon hitting iPhone 17 models hard. Apparently, several launch-day display models are already showing scratches and scuffing on their outer casing, despite only being out of the box for a matter of hours.
The biggest reason for this seems to be that Apple abandoned titanium as the metal of choice for casing construction, and instead returned to aluminum. Aluminum is softer than titanium, and also less expensive. Some wondered if tariffs had a hand in the change. Others, meanwhile, wondered if Apple was just trying to save a few bucks and sacrifice a bit of quality in the bargain. The end result, however, is phones that are now just a little less durable than they once were.
All Shiny and Chrome…Not Allowed
Meanwhile, Apple also released a word about a tool that no iPhone user should use on their device: Chrome. Yes, the popular Chrome web browser is persona non grata on iPhones, despite the fact that it is in wide use not just with the PC market, but with the mobile market as well. Apple, however, was prepared to fight back against an encroaching competitor.
Apple declared, “Switch to a browser that protects your privacy. Safari includes state-of-the-art features that defend you against cross-site tracking, hides your IP address from known trackers, and more. Unlike Chrome, Safari truly helps protect your privacy.” This is a similar push to the one Microsoft (MSFT) made about six weeks ago.
Is Apple a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on AAPL stock based on 17 Buys, 14 Holds and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 12.63% rally in its share price over the past year, the average AAPL price target of $250.17 per share implies 2.19% downside risk.
