iPhone 15 & 15 Pro colors: What's in and what's out for 2023?

When Apple announces the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models later this year — likely in the first couple of weeks of September — there will be much excitement. Sure, there will be new features and improved cameras. But for some, the biggest deal is what colors will be available. And we’ve been treated to some wonders in recent years.

Whether you’re a big fan of the iPhone 14 Pro’s Deep Purple or prefer something like Sierra Blue, there’s plenty of conversation to be had about what the best iPhone color is. And with four new models on the horizon, the obvious question revolves around which new color Apple will add this year.

As is so often the case, most of the rumors point to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max rather than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, but let’s take a dive into what colors you’ll be choosing from come iPhone upgrade day.

The best iPhone colors of yesteryear

Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro stacked on top of Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro on a navy blue placemat

(Image credit: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore)

When it comes to choosing our favorite iPhone colors, it’s impossible to say. There have been some real winners over the years. It’s difficult to look past the current Deep Purple offering, although the aforementioned Sierra Blue of the iPhone 13 Pro was also a favorite.

Going further back, the iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific Blue was a good-looking phone, but there are some who won’t deviate from the traditional Gold, Silver, and some form of Space Gray options. Midnight Green on the iPhone 11 Pro though? Now that’s a real top-tier option that we’d like to see come back.

As for the non-Pro iPhones, the (Product) RED color is always one of the hottest and it’s still a mystery as to why Apple doesn’t give us a muted Pro version in that particular hue. There are rumors of a deep red color option for the iPhone 15 Pro, but we’ll have to wait and see whether it materializes.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

(Image credit: Apple)

If you aren’t interested in Pro iPhones you’re going to be choosing between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus this year. Recent leaks suggest that there will be as many as six colors to choose from including that (Product) RED we’re so fond of.

Other color options are said to include:

Midnight
Starlight
Green
Yellow
Pink

Extra color for poor people iPhone 15 will be green, yellow and pinkSo, – Midnight – Starlight- Green- Yellow- Pink- Product (RED) ? pic.twitter.com/qMo1hzN9epJuly 15, 2023

With those six colors, it’s fair to say that there should be one for everyone, ranging from the dark to the bright. Yellow always looks good on an iPhone but we’re very interested to see what kind of Pink Apple would choose here. Are we talking Barbie pink, or something a little more subdued? Time will tell.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Pro in red

(Image credit: 9to5Mac)

When it comes to Apple’s Pro iPhones we can make some pretty safe assumptions before we even get started.

There are some staple colors that Apple will always (so far, at least) ship a Pro iPhone in. Beyond those, we’ve seen two rumors doing the rounds — a deep red, and a blue.

At this point, it’s difficult to know which will ship and it seems unlikely that Apple will offer them both this year. It’s possible that the blue is a variation on Space Gray and that Graphite is going away, but we’re not convinced about that.

Based on what we know so far, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro color options are likely to be:

Graphite
Gold
Silver
Blue / Deep Red

Whatever color these models come in we can expect some design changes. Talk of a titanium finish and more rounded edges could make this round of pro iPhones even more interesting than is the norm. Throw in the fact that Apple is strongly tipped to be adding an Action Button in place of the mute switch and this is shaping up to be an interesting year for purveyors of Apple’s best iPhones.

A mid-year refresh

Apple iPhone 14 in yellow

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple is growing into something of a habit of adding a new color to its lineups mid-year, although that’s a controversial approach among early adopters.

Recent years have seen a bright yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus added to the lineup mid-year, while green iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models arrived the year before.

Previous mid-year releases have arrived in March of the year following a new iPhone lineup’s release, so March 2024 seems a good bet. Whether there will be new Pro and non-Pro colors is anyone’s guess at this point and that might well depend on what colors launch in September.

All the colors of the rainbow

If you’re making your buying decision based on the color alone, you’ll be spoilt for choice right through the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups. It’s a shame that we can’t get more colors, or at least more vibrant ones, at the high end. But that’s also why we can’t get a MacBook Pro in the same colors as the MacBook Air — Apple sees pro buyers as wanting something more understated. Maybe it’s right, but we doubt it.

What we do know is that this year, like all others, is sure to be a big one for iPhone buyers around the globe. If all we have to complain about come the end of September is that the colors didn’t quite hit the spot, we’ll probably all be very happy with our new iPhones.