When Apple introduced the iPhone 5C, it was the first time that the company added fun colors to the iPhone lineup — despite the iPhone 5C being mostly a flop. It stopped with the colors for a few years until the iPhone XR came around, which brought back fun shades for the iPhone. Ever since then, Apple made the standard iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 come in a slate of more visually-interesting colors while leaving the iPhone Pro devices in more “professional” hues.
Even though Apple just recently released a yellow iPhone 14, which may appeal to some (I’m honestly not a fan of yellow), it historically has a track record of just not being great with iPhone colors. And the purple iPhone 14 is proof of it.
How is that iPhone 14 even considered purple?
I mean, have you ever seen the “purple” iPhone 14 in person? I had one briefly, and I was stunned at how bad it was. Honestly, to my eyes, it doesn’t even look purple — it’s more of an off-white color with a hint of lavender. I think it’s barely passable as even “lavender,” frankly, and it’s embarrassing that Apple even calls this purple.
Apple released a purple iPhone 12 mid-cycle, much like the yellow iPhone 14 that just came out. In my opinion, that purple iPhone 12 was gorgeous, and is what comes to mind when I think of a “purple” iPhone (though I would have preferred something more like royal purple myself). There was also a purple iPhone 11, which also was pretty bad, and it seems like Apple went back to that route (possibly even worse) with the purple iPhone 14.
Historically speaking, Apple hasn’t always been great with product colors. I mean, take a look at “Space Gray,” which originally came out in 2013 with the iPhone 5 and was known for subtle gray tones with metallic finishes. Over time, this one color seems to have changed every year on each product that uses it — until Apple basically replaced Space Gray with Space Black on the iPhone. If I say, “Hey, remember that Space Gray color on the iPhone?” you would have to specify which one because they were all so different.
And let’s take a look at the iPhone Pro lineup. For years, people like myself have been clamoring for more “fun” colors to be introduced for the iPhone Pro devices because it seems that Apple believes pros don’t like color. The Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro was one of the best colors that Apple released, and Sierra Blue on the iPhone 13 Pro just wasn’t the same. I grabbed a Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro because I like having the newest color, but honestly, I was hoping that it would be more purple (again, I like royal purple).
I suppose the Deep Purple looks purple once you hold it at the right angle in the proper light. But overall, I think it’s also barely noticeable, and it even looks like Space Black if you’re not really paying attention.
Samsung gets colors right, especially the purple Galaxy A54
When Samsung revealed its new Galaxy A54, I instantly fell in love with it — at least, in terms of colors. Samsung calls its purple and green shades “Awesome Violet” and “Awesome Lime Green,” and I have to agree. The Awesome Violet shade is incredibly gorgeous, and exactly what I think of when you tell me about a “purple phone.” Even the aluminum frame is a beautiful purple.
To be frank, the purple A54 is what I was hoping that the purple iPhone 14 would look like. It’s vibrant, colorful, and just downright fun. Plus, you can clearly see that it’s purple, whereas the iPhone 14 requires you to squint really hard to even see the slightest little hint of lavender that Apple calls “purple.”
We need more fun colors for phones
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m getting tired of seeing Apple, and other smartphone manufacturers, go with the “safe” phone colors — like black, white, gold, etc. As much as I’ve been enjoying the Samsung Galaxy S23, I’m not a huge fan of the non-exclusive colors that Samsung came out with either. I wish it came in the pink/gold or violet colors that its predecessor came in, at least.
I would love to see Apple branch out and expand with the iPhone colors, especially on the Pro lineup. Remember when Apple embraced fun colors with the 1999 iMac? Let’s get those kinds of colors on the iPhone, please. I mean, wouldn’t it be awesome if we got something from Apple, like Huawei’s P30 Pro? Now those were some fun colored phones.
And if you’re going to make something “purple,” actually make it purple — not some boring and bland off-white color that no one can tell is actually purple.
