We're likely about a month away from when Apple will launch new iPhone models, and color has been a major topic of discussion. There's going to be a dramatic new color for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but Apple plans to play it safe with the foldable iPhone.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
With the iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple introduced a bold new Cosmic Orange color. This year, Cosmic Orange is being retired for a shade that's darker and moodier.
Dark Cherry is the color Apple is rumored to be using, and it looks like a cross between red and purple.
Apple's colors always look different when lighting conditions change, which can lead to some confusion. At first, rumors described the color as a deep red.
We also heard rumors about the possibility of burgundy, purple, and brown color options, with Apple set to choose one.
In April, Macworld shared the exact Pantone colors Apple allegedly plans to use, describing the color as Dark Cherry for the first time. The site said the other three colors would include Silver, Dark Gray, and Light Blue. We used the Pantone shades to make a mockup.
- Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17's Mist Blue
- Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color
- Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)
- Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation
Dummy models soon surfaced showing similar colors, though with a bit more of a pink tone for the Dark Cherry shade.
The color Apple goes with will likely be close to the Pantone shade, with purple or red tones depending on the lighting. It's not quite burgundy because it trends closer to purple. It's redder than a true purple, but more violet than a dark red or maroon. It's more of a wine or a plum color, so if Dark Cherry is indeed the name of the color, it's a fitting one.
An alleged iPhone 18 Pro SIM tray in Dark CherryWe've had iPhones in Lavender, Pink, Deep Purple, (Product)RED, and Purple, but nothing like what Apple is planning for 2026.
There were only three color options for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but it looks like there will be four for the iPhone 18 Pro models. Along with Silver and Dark Gray, there's a blue color.
Blue is a shade Apple has used for iPhone models multiple times in the past. The rumored blue is probably closest to the Sierra Blue color Apple used for the iPhone 13 Pro, but it's more saturated with less red and green to tone it down. Most of the blues Apple used in the past have been lighter or much darker, but this shade still won't feel as unique as the Dark Cherry color.
Uniform Back
The iPhone 17 Pro models have a two-tone design where the glass on the back is a noticeably lighter shade than the color of the aluminum frame. With the iPhone 18 Pro models, the color difference between the frame and the glass panel at the back could be less pronounced.
Rumors suggest Apple will minimize the color difference between the two components for a more unified appearance.
iPhone Ultra
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have two colors that offer options beyond the standard silver or gray, Apple doesn't plan to experiment with the foldable iPhone (which might be called the iPhone Ultra).
The expensive new device is apparently only going to be available with a limited color palette. White has been mentioned multiple times, which probably means a white/silver type of shade, while rumors have been a little mixed on the second color (if there is one).
Macworld said in April that Apple would use silver and indigo, with the latter shade being similar to the Deep Blue color used for the iPhone 17 Pro. In May, Weibo leaker Instant Digital said white was the only confirmed color, and in June, dummy models leaked alongside a rumor that the foldable iPhone might only be available in white.
Camera accessories that leaked in August suggest the foldable iPhone will come in silver/white and a dark blue shade that's almost black. Since the foldable iPhone is going to cost upwards of $2,000, it's not surprising Apple didn't want to make it in colors that might have narrower appeal.
Color Caveats
We're working with rumors and dummy models at this point. The colors that leak ahead of when a new iPhone launches are typically accurate, but lighting and material affect how color appears. Apple's devices often look far better than the dummy models and renderings.
With the iPhone 17 Pro, mockups and dummy models featuring the Cosmic Orange color were a duller shade than we actually got, plus nothing quite captured the two-tone look of the glass back and the frame. Ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro launch, there were rumors of a desert titanium shade. The mockups and dummy models were a darker, uglier brown than the soft, almost pink-toned gold shade Apple used.
It's unusual for the color rumors to be wrong, but it happens. Last year, rumors suggested there would be a black iPhone 17 Pro, but it was a color Apple apparently dropped.
What About the iPhone 18?
The iPhone 18 isn't going to launch in the fall alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable iPhone. Apple's holding it until spring 2027, and since it's still months away, we haven't heard what its color options might be. With standard iPhones, Apple often debuts a range of colors.
There are five iPhone 17 colors, including black, white, and three pastel shades in blue, lavender, and green. Apple tends to go back and forth between pastels and more saturated shades for the standard iPhone, so the 2027 iPhone 18 could have brighter colors than the ones Apple used for the iPhone 17 line.
The iPhone 18 is rumored to be launching alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, and we also don't know what colors Apple will use for those devices.
Launch Timing
Apple is expected to introduce the foldable iPhone and the iPhone 18 Pro models at an iPhone event held the week of September 9. Pre-orders could start at the end of that same week, with a launch on September 18.
