For years, black has been extra than simply one other coloration in Apple’s lineup. It has been the shorthand for “Professional.” If you image a MacBook Professional on a desk, likelihood is it’s the Area Black mannequin. The iPad Professional? The iMac Professional? Similar story. Even Apple’s equipment, from the Magic Keyboard to the Magic Trackpad, can be found in a deep black possibility.
However this fall, one thing odd occurred. The brand new iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone 17 Professional Max don’t are available in black. Not Jet Black, not Midnight, not Area Black. Apple has successfully retired probably the most “Professional” coloration from its most necessary Professional product.
A historical past of black iPhones
Black has a legacy at Apple. There was a black iPhone because the iPhone 3G. Through the years, the black hue typically ended up as a lighter variant like Area Grey, however there was all the time an possibility for followers of a darker, extra impartial coloration.
Again in 2016, the iPhone 7 launched Jet Black, an ultra-glossy end that immediately grew to become a collector’s merchandise regardless of its tendency to scratch. In 2017, the iPhone X was launched solely in black and white, with the iPhone XS including a glossy gold possibility a yr later.
In 2019, Apple unveiled the iPhone 11 Professional in a darkish inexperienced coloration, however nonetheless provided a Area Grey possibility. The iPhone 12 Professional and 13 Professional leaned on Graphite, whereas the iPhone 14 Professional got here in Area Black, a end that made headlines for being the darkest iPhone Apple had made in years.
By the point the iPhone 15 Professional arrived, Area Black felt like a default. Rumors prompt it could carry ahead to the iPhone 17 Professional, too, however when Apple unveiled the lineup this week, the choice was nowhere to be discovered.
The rumors versus what truly occurred
Earlier this yr, Macworld obtained entry to an inner doc that revealed the potential colours Apple had been experimenting with for the iPhone 17 lineup. We bought most of them proper, aside from a Metal Grey iPhone 17 that apparently ended up being scrapped.
The identical doc additionally hinted that Apple had plans to launch the iPhone 17 Professional within the conventional black, white, and silver, along with the brand new Deep Blue and Cosmic Orange. Nevertheless, whereas black and white appeared like fairly apparent selections, Apple didn’t go that route.
The iPhone 17 Professional is available in simply three coloration choices this yr—however not black.
Apple
That raises a query: Did Apple deliberately step away from probably the most Professional-looking coloration, or was black merely a casualty of the corporate’s ever-changing materials science experiments?
We don’t know precisely why Apple scrapped a black possibility – it might be one thing associated to the brand new materials, because the black aluminum on the iPhone 5 tended to scratch simply. However it’s not like Apple hasn’t made different black aluminum merchandise since then.
Why black issues for Professional customers
Black isn’t only a protected coloration. It’s an announcement. For professionals, black {hardware} blends seamlessly into workflows. It doesn’t scream for consideration in a gathering room. Many individuals select black gadgets as a result of they’re discreet, elegant, and complicated.
By skipping black on the iPhone 17 Professional, Apple is creating a spot in its product household. You should purchase a Area Black MacBook Professional, pair it with a Area Black iPad Professional, after which… what? A silver or orange iPhone 17 Professional? The ecosystem all of a sudden feels inconsistent.
Black has been a staple of Apple’s flagship telephones for years.
Apple
Personally, I’m actually uncertain about which iPhone coloration I ought to get this yr. I presently have a desert iPhone 16 Professional Max, which I feel is a really elegant coloration because it’s not too vibrant however nonetheless provides it a little bit of a singular contact. Now the orange appears too vibrant and flashy. The darkish blue didn’t catch my consideration. And the silver appears a bit too fundamental. Plainly there’s a fourth possibility lacking, and that possibility can be black.
Apple might argue that its new finishes are simply as premium, however the absence of black looks like a misstep. Professional customers worth consistency, and for a lot of, black is probably the most constant, skilled possibility. It’s the uniform of Apple’s Professional lineup, and now it’s lacking from the product that issues most.
Possibly Apple will reintroduce black subsequent yr, simply because it has cycled by greens, purples, and golds earlier than. However for now, in order for you a Professional iPhone that matches your black MacBook or Apple Watch, you’re out of luck.
Black has all the time been probably the most Professional coloration. With out it, the iPhone 17 Professional lineup appears just a bit much less… Professional.