I’m very disappointed that Apple didn’t give a name to the yellow I sprayed on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. It’s a yellow or yellow iPhone 14. At least the dark blue got the word “Midnight” but Apple clearly wasn’t interested in something like “Banana Yellow” or “Sunflower Yellow” or “Merengue Yellow”.
See, it’s not just me. After I unboxed the bright yellow phone and showed it to co-workers and colleagues, more than one person asked me for the name. They were also sad that Apple did not go the way of Samsung and named it “Lemon Yellow” as Samsung’s “Bora Purple”, which in Korean means “Purple Purple”.
The new color variant, which brings the iPhone 14’s total color options to six, was revealed without fanfare on Tuesday (March 7). It brings a bright yellow back, a yellow brushed metal band, and a new pale yellow background to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. They go for pre-order March 10, 2023, and ship March 14.
Aside from the flashy new finish, there’s nothing different about this iPhone 14 (the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max don’t get the new color). There’s the same 12MP dual rear camera system and a 12MP TrueDepth front camera; the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display; And the same last generation A15 Bionic CPU. It’s an iPhone that’s as good now as it was when I reviewed it in a different color.
My opinion
When I was in kindergarten, the teacher asked us what our favorite colors were. In a panic, not having thought of that question once in my five years, I spouted a “yellow.” It wasn’t long ago that I wore yellow shirts and yellow caps and tablecloths with my name on them. The color has stuck with me for decades. Even now, if you asked me what my favorite color was, I’d say, “yellow,” while secretly still not having any idea.
Now, as I stare at this gorgeous and very flashy 6.1-inch smartphone, I’m once again faced with the issue of color preference. This is a great smartphone. As always, Apple places the color under the back panel glass and essentially embeds it into the metal band around the phone. This enhances the premium look and feel. But how do I do Feel about color?
Unlike the Purple iPhone 14 or my Space Black iPhone 14 Pro, the yellow iPhone 14 almost screams, “Look at me!” There is no way to hide this phone when you take it out of your pocket. And don’t think a yellow MagSafe bag will save you the looks. It is a brighter shade of yellow.
As for the new yellow background wallpaper, which will be launched soon in the iOS update, it is the image of the resolution. You may not even realize that it contains yellow pigment.
I took the phone outside and held it in front of a yellow truck, a yellow bus, and a yellow cab in New York City. guess what? None of these things are really yellow. They are all different shades of orange. Yellow iPhone is real yellow, my friends.
After I got my yellow submarine iPhone experience, I started asking for more third party input.
Yellow phone feedback
I just held the yellow iPhone 14 in front of people and waited for the reactions. It didn’t take long. Yellow hits you in the face. Most people I spoke to seemed happy, or at least intrigued, with DayGlo’s new end.
One man pointed out that the color yellow coded “neither masculine nor feminine,” which was a very clever remark. This is a springtime (if you live in the northern hemisphere) color that might appeal to everyone. Maybe Apple is releasing it now and in this color to drive iPhone sales (I have no information that they are slow at all) with a color anyone can carry.
Now here’s something I hadn’t considered: changing tastes. I recently redid my kitchen and instead of muted tones, we opted for bold, dark blue cabinets. It’s nice. I don’t think we would have looked yellow but we probably aren’t that in trend.
I also think Michelle named it after the color: frozen mango sorbet.
Well, John’s issues seem to go beyond yellow, but I’ve heard that sentiment elsewhere. Yellow isn’t groundbreaking, and as others have pointed out, we’d be even more excited if Apple paired this announcement with the entry for the yellow AirPods.
Instead, Apple seems to want credit for presenting a yellow iPhone 14 as if it were some kind of innovation. Obviously not.
An unscientific Twitter poll seemed more in line with John’s sentiments, with most people saying they didn’t like it very much. On the bright yellow side, more than a third said they liked it.
Yellow iPhone 14March 7, 2023
John’s frustration was an anomaly among the immediate reactions I got. Most people seemed either intrigued by the new color or at least willing to admit that it would be noticed.
I wonder who would feel torn between buying the yellow iPhone 14 they want and the high-performance iPhone 14 Pro, which isn’t available in yellow.
Despite this, Michelle countered the notion that “normal people” (meaning people who haven’t dedicated their lives to geeky pursuits) would likely choose this yellow iPhone 14 over the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
Maybe so.
At the very least, I have to agree with a colleague who told me that when you take it out of your pocket, “People will go ‘Cool.'”
