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Unpopular opinion: iPhone colors don’t matter to most people

We’re less than a fortnight away from the September Apple event, and by this point we’re reasonably sure we know which iPhone colors to expect in this year’s line-up.

Many of you have already reached at least a tentative decision for the Pro models, based on our renders, with Dark Blue the most popular choice. But does it really matter much … ?

I mean, don’t misunderstand me. I have as many opinions about iPhone colors as the next geek, though mine could be said to be rather uninteresting. In my world, there are only two gadget colors: silver and black. My Mac and iPad are silver, my iPhone is black – well, as close as Apple ever gets to black.

(And yeah, ok, my Apple Watch is white, but that’s a special case.)

And sure, in the abstract, I’m on Team Blue when it comes to the anticipated iPhone 15 Pro colors – because it’s a more interesting color than the usual ones. But I will, as always, buy black. Or gray, as it always is in reality.

That’s in theory because my color tastes in general tend toward the monochromatic. I might opt for a splash of color here and there, but mostly I like to have some kind of coordinated look to my various gadgets.

Top comment by Casey

Liked by 7 people

"And sure, some of you opt for a transparent case. Those are supposedly pretty popular, but certainly when it comes to Pro and Pro Max models, I literally can’t remember the last time I saw a clear-cased one in the wild."

This is a pretty bold anecdotal statement. I will counter with one of my own: at least here in the states, I see a lot of Pro models in clear cases. And personally, I've only used clear cases since the iPhone 4 and I've only purchased Pros since Apple began differentiating the line. I think, for the most part, the iPhone is a beautiful piece of industrial design and I don't want it covered up. With that in mind, a clear case is always my choice.

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But in all honesty, I could buy any of the colors and it wouldn’t really make any difference. The total time my iPhone remains caseless, with its color visible, is about two minutes per year – between removing it from the box and putting it in the case, where it spends the rest of its natural born days.

The same is true of almost everyone I know. I mean, I do know one person who never uses a case, but clearly they are some kind of alien being with fingers made from rubber suckers instead of skin.

And sure, some of you opt for a transparent case. Those are supposedly pretty popular, but certainly when it comes to Pro and Pro Max models, I literally can’t remember the last time I saw a clear-cased one in the wild.

But if we’re in the majority, and we keep our iPhone in a case at all times, and it’s not a transparent one, do the iPhone colors really matter? Let me know your thoughts in the comments (I’m donning my flameproof suit).

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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