Hi! I just found this post, and I had quite a similar experience just like you with my Space Black iPhone 14 Pro Max, I always use it with a case and noticed that the paint in the borders of the phone just scratched very easily, and I began to notice the silver stainless steel on some scratches, after I noticed a little piece of the black coating just chipped of near the earpiece area I went mad and my OCD just kicked in. It’s the first time after years I’m having an issue like that, I’ve been using all the stainless steel iPhones since the X, which I bought in silver and it scratched like hell but well, that’s normal with the polished stainless steel finishes, the next year I grabbed the XS Max on gold and no issues at all, even the gold finish ended after a year usage and no issues, no chipping, only minor scratched, on the 11 Pro Max I went with the space grey, and nothing, 12 Pro Max I took gold and everything fine, also grabbed a 12 Pro on space grey and never had an issue. The next year I grabbed the 13 Pro on space grey and the 13 Pro Max in Sierra Blue and no issues at all, my OCD was very pleased and using my iPhones always with a light case, I just experienced very minor hairlines. This year with the Space Black I immediately noticed the coating feels different and after just a pair of months I noticed the paint were chipping even using it with a case, maybe the dust caused this, but it the first time I experienced this since the black iPhone 5, and I had very terrible memories with it. I just felt my 14 Pro Max will end very chipped and I began to feel uncomfortable with it so I sold it and bought a Silver one and well, that’s the best I could do, the silver iPhones don’t chip and I can live without any trouble with scratches and hairlines because I know it’s s normal process on silver iPhones, and I prefer that than paint chippings, I think something happened with the coating but now I’m happy with the silver 14PM