It seems the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are getting a new yellow color option very soon, alongside the current blue, purple, midnight (black), starlight (cream), and red – with Apple hopeful it might boost the sales of the two less expensive iPhone 14 models.
This comes from a source on Chinese social media network Weibo (opens in new tab) via Mac Otakara (opens in new tab) and MacRumors (opens in new tab). While the initial tipster doesn't have much of a track record, MacRumors does – and it says that it's heard Apple is planning a product briefing next week.
While we can't be certain of any rumor or leak until it's actually confirmed, Apple has form for adding new iPhone colors around this time of year: green for the iPhone 13 last year, and purple for the iPhone 12 the year before that.
It was all yellow
As in the past, the aim here is to boost sales of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. We're now about half way to another iPhone launch – the iPhone 15 – and so the timing is right to try and drum up some more interest in the current handsets.
This is particularly important for the iPhone 14 Plus. While it was brought in to replace the iPhone 13 mini, which was hardly flying off shelves, the word on the Apple street is that not many people are buying the iPhone 14 Plus.
That's perhaps not surprising, considering both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are making do with last year's Apple A15 Bionic chipset. Even Apple itself seems to prefer the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Analysis: more colors, please
It's perhaps a little surprising how much difference a new colorway can make to the appeal of a device – after all, every internal component stays the same. The iPhone 14 in yellow will still run just as fast and take the same quality photos and videos.
Or perhaps it's not surprising at all: gadget aesthetics are important, and for some people at least, the look and feel of a phone is a major consideration when weighing up upgrade options. This yellow shade will certainly make the iPhone look a little more distinctive.
We're not wholly sold on the idea of yellow as a smartphone color. It's not one that you see around very much, and straight away it makes us think of various bodily fluids. On the plus side, there are connotations with sunshine and… er… Lego minifigures? Or the Simpsons?
What we are certain about is that Apple's design team can be trusted to produce a yellow shade that's easy on the eye. More color options are always good for consumers, and we should be hearing about the new iPhone 14 one in the coming days.
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