‘Crimson Red’ May Be the Exclusive Color for This Year’s iPhone 15 Pro

There’s little doubt that Apple has gotten way more colorful in recent years. Gone are the days when you could get an iPhone in any color you liked as long as it was black or white (or maybe some flavor of gold).

Today, the standard iPhone models are available in a broad assortment of finishes, and even the more staid iPhone Pro models have come along for the ride, presenting with a unique color each year.

Apple began its journey into the land of color in earnest in 2018 when the iPhone XR showed up in Black, White, Yellow, Coral, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED. While Apple had toyed with the idea of colorful iPhones with the iPhone 5c in 2013, it seemingly abandoned that idea after that model proved unpopular. It likely didn’t help that the colors and plastic design made it feel too “Fisher Price” for most folks.

It took three years after that failed attempt before Apple even considered adding a splash of color to an iPhone when it released the special (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7. However, it was the 2018 iPhone XR that signaled Apple’s return to the full spectrum.

Even with the colorful iPhone XR, the flagship iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max retained their more “serious” colorways of Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. However, the iPhone XR turned out to be a massive success, prompting Apple to fold this idea into the core brand the following year, positioning its successor, the iPhone 11, as a standard model against the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

This decision also kicked off the first colorful flagship iPhone with the Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro. This was followed by a Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro, making it apparent that Apple intended to go with a unique and exclusive colorway for each year’s premium iPhone.

Those first two iPhone Pro colors led many to believe Apple would stay with darker and more muted finishes. Early predictions suggested a dark bronze-like orange finish for the iPhone 13 Pro, potentially called “Sunset Gold.” Instead, Apple surprised everyone with a lighter pastel Sierra Blue.

However, that wasn’t the only surprise for the iPhone 13 Pro; six months later, Apple introduced a new iPhone 13 Pro in Alpine Green. While new mid-cycle colors have become the norm for Apple’s standard iPhones, this was the only time (so far) that Apple has added a new color to a current iPhone Pro lineup.

The ‘Crimson Red’ iPhone 15 Pro

This year, sources suggest that Apple will go with “Crimson Red” for this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

News that Apple was planning a deep red was first reported by 9to5Mac in February, and now a source on Weibo that accurately predicted the Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro is confirming that the iPhone 15 Pro will get a “crimson” shade that “may be a little lighter” than Deep Purple, but “still very deep.”

Except for the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro, Apple has trended toward deeper and richer colors for the iPhone Pro models. With the advent of Alpine Green, even the iPhone 13 Pro joined the club, making Sierra Blue feel like an outlier.

A deep ‘Crimson Red’ seems like it would fit the mold well, and it’s one of the few shades that Apple has generally shied away from, perhaps to avoid confusion with its (PRODUCT)RED models, which have a special significance for Apple.

The only other distinctive shade that Apple hasn’t tried yet is orange. Considering that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro were both rumored to come in bronze or orange, there’s a chance Apple considered it and couldn’t make it work. Orange is a hard color to get right for metallic finishes, as we saw with Apple’s iPod lineup.

It’s been over a decade since Apple sold a mobile device in orange. The color was last used on the 2010 iPod nano and iPod shuffle but didn’t make the cut when Apple refreshed the iPod shuffle colors in 2012.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]