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I’ve been reporting on technology for almost twenty years, and I vividly recall the early years of the smartphone industry when companies like Nokia pushed the boundaries when it came to smartphone colors.
Rather than the less exciting neutral colors that have become standard in the industry — gray, white, silver, and gold — Nokia launched phones in bright red, yellow, and other vibrant colors. Yes, there were still the same standardized options, but you also had bright neon colors, such as the yellow Lumia 1020 or the orange Nokia N8.
The latter was striking because it was so rare. Few companies had attempted to create an orange phone, and far fewer came close to achieving the same level of quality as Nokia did.
Last year, Motorola launched the Razr 2024 in this bright orange color that is still spectacular, but it was missing from this year’s Razr 2025 series. However, the purported colors for the upcoming iPhone 17 series just leaked, and they suggest that Apple could be set to launch an orange-like phone.
At first glance, it looks fantastic: here’s why it could be the best attempt at orange yet.
The leaked iPhone 17 series camera lens protectors
We’ve had two major leaks this week about Apple’s next iPhone, and both of them make the phone colors look fantastic. The first came from well-known tipster Sonny Dickson on X, who tweeted images of the metal camera-lens protectors and the colorful rim surrounding them.
The iPhone 17 will come in six colors: black, gray, silver, light blue, light green, and light purple. We can only see a small sample of the shades, but the light blue option looks particularly good.
Then there’s the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, Apple’s ultra-thin competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. This will come in black, silver, light gold, and a blue-grey color that looks quite interesting. However, with just a single camera, it’s hard to tell exactly how it will look.
Lastly, there’s the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, which will share the same color palette. There are black, gray, and silver options, which presumably resemble existing or past options, as well as a dark blue option that appears darker than the navy used on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the most interesting by far is the orange option.
Renders confirmed that Orange is making a comeback
The second leak from MacWorld confirmed that Apple is launching the iPhone 17 Pro series in Orange. It also provided renders that purport to show the iPhone 17 Pro in Orange and Black, but it’s the Orange one that has me super excited.
Renders and photos can never truly replicate the appearance of a color in person. The Pantone color provided in MacWorld’s leak suggests a vibrant orange, rather than the orange-like gold color the renders suggest. I hope that it is just as lively as the orange colors used by Nokia and Motorola.
It’s interesting to see Apple launch its phones in a fifth color, as it has most recently adopted four core colors for its flagship lineup. The base iPhone has often launched in a wider range of colors, but these were more pastel than neon.
Beyond the orange, the MacWorld report confirms the rest of the colors and their similarities. The Black and White iPhone 17 Pro options are the same as those of the iPhone 16 Pro, while the Gray option will be similar to the Natural Titanium color. The Dark Blue is Pantone 19-4025 TPG Mood Indigo, a darker variant than the last blue flagship Apple introduced.
Then there’s the base iPhone 17, and again, the Black and White options are the same as in the iPhone 16. The other colors are Gray (Pantone 18-4005-TPG), Green (Pantone 2282 U), Purple (Pantone 530 U), and Light Blue (Pantone 658 U). The green is more vibrant than the Mint color used in the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, but appears similar to the light green Razr 2025.
This is the most excited I’ve been about iPhone colors in year
My favorite phone launch of the year is usually the new Razr series, thanks to Motorola’s incredible array of Razr Ultra 2025 colors. However, Motorola isn’t the only one: Samsung has just launched blue and mint Galaxy Z Fold 7 colors that also look great, as well as a striking coral red Galaxy Z Flip 7, but it is only making the affordable Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE available in black and white colors.
Each year, I hope that Apple will bring its vibrant base iPhone colors to the Pro and Pro Max range, and every year, I am somewhat disappointed. This year, the Orange iPhone 17 Pro has me super excited, not just to use it, but also to see the other colors that Apple chooses to offer. We need more color options in smartphones, and as the iPhone 17 Pro consistently sells well, hopefully, this will encourage phone makers to adopt more colors.
