First there was “#BendGate” and now there is “#ScratchGate,” as Apple Watch buyers and detractors alike have been using the hashtag in order to discuss a glaring issue with the device, with many finding that its stainless steel edition is susceptible to noticeable scratches along its edges.
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The issue with the wearable was brought to light by Twitter user @DetroitBORG, who posted a couple of images of what his device looks like after picking it up on its April 24th launch date. Shortly following these tweets, other users began to report the same problem.
This obviously isn’t the kind of issue you’d want to be confronted with if you’d just forked out a few hundred dollars on a new piece of tech, with the prices of the stainless steel edition Apple Watch ranging from $549 to a hefty $1,099. However, this should hardly be of a major surprise to those who have owned Apple products designed with stainless steel before, as each generation of the full-sized iPod has suffered from numerous scratches due to the implementation of the material.
Fortunately, the cosmetic scratches can be removed using cheap metal polish, meaning that you will not need to return the device to an Apple Store or take it to a jeweler if it starts looking too unsightly. The method used to remove the scratches can be viewed in the below video:
It’s unlikely that this issue will give Apple the same headache as “Bendgate,” a trending topic which was started after it was reportedly that – gasp – the iPhone 6 Plus would bend if it was put under pressure, but this likely isn’t going to prevent Apple Watch naysayers from using this information to stick the boot into the wearable. There are plenty of criticisms that can be lobbed in the direction of the device, but Scratchgate is certainly not one of them.
