Which iPhone 16 Pro Color Should You Buy?
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Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is now available in Apple Stores and at most other retailers around the globe, and while the standard iPhone 16 models have some fun and vibrant colors, the iPhone 16 Pro models stick to the typically reserved shades that Apple’s high-end flagships have become known for.
However, this year, the iPhone 16 Pro leans even more heavily into the realm of neutral shades, eschewing the muted but classy greens, blues, and purples of prior models. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel like a return to the less colorful era of the iPhone XS, when our only options were Space Grey, Silver, and Gold.
Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 16 Pro still features the titanium construction that Apple introduced in last year’s Pro lineup, and Apple is sticking with a series of titanium-themed colors to match. While we’d recommend visiting an Apple Store to see what’s being offered this year with your own eyes, as words and pictures can’t quite do them justice, here are some of our thoughts if you’re still on the fence and thinking about ordering an iPhone 16 Pro online.
Desert Titanium
Desert Titanium is this year’s “special” color, which follows last year’s Blue Titanium iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a stark departure from Apple’s usual Pro shades, which, with only one exception, have been muted and darker shades of actual colors. While the iPhone 15 Pro’s Blue Titanium was very close to the Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro had a unique Deep Purple, and the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro came in shades of Midnight Green and Alpine Green, respectively.
However, Alpine Green was a second color that came six months in, marking the only time a Pro model has received a mid-cycle color update. The original iPhone 13 Pro color was Sierra Blue, the only light shade Apple has used on an iPhone Pro — until now.
Desert Titanium was one of those early leaks that turned out to be right — or at least the name was. In February, leaker Majin Bu shared the shade, suggesting that it might be called “Desert Yellow” instead, a name that could have worked if Apple had chosen to drop the “Titanium” branding. At the time, the leaker described it as “similar to the gold of the iPhone 14 Pro but deeper and heavier.”
Over the months that followed that leak, numerous speculative shades of rose gold, bronze, and tan iPhone Pro models appeared. However, what Apple came up with was indeed Desert Titanium, and it wasn’t too far off from the original description.
However, it’s a hard color to describe, and Apple’s product marketing photos, which are typically shot in lower light, make it look darker than it actually is.
I picked Desert Titanium for my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but when it arrived, I was surprised to find it was much closer to champagne than sand. The titanium frame is darker than the back glass, a contrast accented by matching metal rings around the cameras, but it wasn’t what I expected.
The color quickly grew on me after I got past the initial surprise, and I quite like it. Still, if you’re considering Desert Titanium, I’d strongly recommend checking it out for yourself before making a decision, as Apple’s photos don’t do it justice.
Black Titanium
Black Titanium is a bit harder to confuse, and the Black Titanium iPhone 16 Pro is much closer to what you’d expect from the name, but it’s still nowhere near the Jet Black iPhone 7 (or Apple Watch Series 10).
As with Desert Titanium, the surrounding metallic band is darker than the rear glass, which is still more of a Space Gray. During its Glowtime event, Apple said it used darker black titanium, but it’s clear that it was referring to the actual metal, not the overall finish.
White Titanium
Along the same lines as the Black Titanium model, White Titanium gets brighter, but in this case, it’s the back glass that goes almost snow white while the outer band still retains a strong tinge of silver.
That’s understandable, as it’s metal, and pure white titanium is probably tough to achieve. Still, it’s brighter than last year’s White Titanium and offers a nice sheen despite still being a matte brushed metallic finish.
Natural Titanium
We left Grey Titanium for last here not merely because it’s arguably the most boring color of the bunch but also because it’s the one shade that’s fundamentally unchanged from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro lineup.
As the name suggests, it has a bland gray finish that’s ideal for those who like a more industrial metallic look. The Natural Titanium iPhone 16 Pro will be a near-perfect match if you own an Apple Watch Ultra.
Natural Titanium also has the least contrast between the glass and the sides. It’s a smooth gray that blends in more seamlessly, so it’s great for those who like a more uniform look.
Of course, if you slap a case on your iPhone 16 Pro, the colors may not matter quite as much, although transparent and translucent cases are popular these days, so it’s still worth considering at least the shade of back glass if you’re leaning toward that style of case.
