The iPhone 18 Pro has only been on sale for a few weeks, but some owners are already reporting an unusual problem with their expensive new phones: discoloration around the rear cameras.

Complaints have appeared on social media and Reddit from owners of the black and burgundy iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with some saying areas around the camera lenses have become noticeably lighter than the rest of the camera housing.

In some cases, owners claim the discoloration was visible shortly after receiving their phones and couldn’t be removed through cleaning. A handful of affected customers say they have already returned their devices or are considering asking Apple for a replacement.

One Reddit user shared photos showing a lighter, almost pinkish area around the camera lenses. They said the phone had been carefully cleaned and showed no obvious scratches, dents or other physical damage that might explain the difference in colour.

Other owners subsequently reported seeing something similar on their devices, including both the black and burgundy finishes. Meanwhile, owners of the lighter silver and Glacier models don’t appear to be reporting the same problem.

It’s not yet clear what’s causing the discoloration or how widespread it might be. Some users have suggested that oils, dust or other residue could be accumulating around the camera lenses, but several affected owners insist cleaning doesn’t permanently remove the marks.

One owner of a burgundy iPhone 18 Pro Max said the discoloration wouldn’t wipe away, while another claimed the mark temporarily disappeared after cleaning before gradually returning.

The reports are particularly interesting because of how Apple finishes the iPhone 18 Pro’s aluminium body. The metal is anodised and dyed, allowing pigment to penetrate its surface rather than simply sitting on top of it, which should provide a durable finish.

This also isn’t the first time Apple’s Pro iPhones have faced questions over their finishes.

Some iPhone 17 Pro owners previously reported that the bright Cosmic Orange finish on their phones had developed a pinkish appearance. There were suggestions at the time that oxidation caused by exposure to cleaning products or residue could have played a role. Other owners also complained about scratches revealing the aluminium underneath the coloured finish.

So far, there doesn’t appear to be evidence of the same scratching issue affecting the iPhone 18 Pro, and Apple hasn’t publicly confirmed a problem with discoloration on the new models.

The complaints arrive less than a month after the iPhone 18 Pro series went on sale. While the exterior design remains broadly similar to the previous generation, Apple has focused its biggest upgrades on areas including the camera, performance, battery life and Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone 18 Pro also introduces a variable-aperture camera system and arrives alongside the long-awaited upgraded version of Siri powered by Apple’s latest AI technology.

Those improvements don’t come cheap, however. With the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max reaching A$2,099 and A$2,299 respectively for starter models, buyers understandably won’t expect their new phones to start looking discoloured after only a few days.

For now, the reports appear limited to a number of individual owners, so it’s too early to say whether this is a broader manufacturing or finishing problem. But it’s another early issue worth watching as more iPhone 18 Pro devices make their way into customers’ hands.