iPhone colors may not matter much to some, but for plenty of users, they have the power to sway an upgrade decision. And with this year’s iPhone 17 lineup, we could see bigger color changes than usual. Here’s why.
iPhone color trends may shift this year for two reasons
In recent years, Apple has gotten somewhat predictable with its iPhone color schemes.
The two entry models—currently iPhone 16 and 16 Plus—normally come in the same colors. And they tend to be actually, well, colorful.
The Pro models, on the other hand—currently iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max—follow a different pattern:
- they get fewer color options than their siblings
- those colors are generally just different shades of gray
- and each year, only one of the colors tends to be brand new
While there’s a lot we already know about Apple’s plans for the iPhone 17 lineup, colors tend to be some of the last details to leak.
Earlier this week, we did get the first rumor though.
It said a Sky Blue finish for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is likely.
Sky Blue seems like a hit on the M4 MacBook Air, so I suspect it could prove popular on the iPhone too.
But whether that rumor pans out or not, there are two reasons to believe the iPhone 17 line could get a bigger color shakeup than usual.
- The introduction of iPhone 17 Air
- and the Pro models dropping titanium
iPhone 17 Air and titanium-free Pro models could bring color shakeup
With the iPhone 17 Air, Apple has a new fourth model in the lineup that’s certain to garner more excitement and attention than the Plus or mini ever did.
It’s possible Apple will still give its 17 Air the same color options as the base iPhone 17.
But due to the unique, ultra-thin new design and expected wide appeal, I wouldn’t be surprised if iPhone 17 Air gets its own bespoke colors this year.
Then there’s the Pro models. While they’ve always skewed toward more muted shades, Apple’s opportunities for color differentiation seemingly grew more limited when titanium was introduced with iPhone 15 Pro.
But according to rumors, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will ditch titanium—at least in part—and use more aluminum instead.
This materials change would mean we can’t just get Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium for the third year in a row.
Instead, Apple will need to offer a whole new lineup of Pro colors in aluminum finishes.
Will they still mostly be shades of gray? Probably so. But due to the lack of titanium, Apple’s Pro line should at least pack more color changes than we’ve seen the last two years.
What do you want to see from the iPhone 17 color options? Let us know in the comments.
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