It’s iPhone launch day, which means it’s finally time to see what the new models look and feel like outside of marketing materials. Can’t get down to your local Apple Store? Not to worry, I went down bright and early (Australia time) to grab a few photos and register some first impressions.
iPhone 17 Colors
The iPhone 17 is available in five colors this year, which is the same number Apple made available last year. This year’s colors are more subtle, taking on soft pastel tones compared to the bold, saturated colors we saw with the iPhone 16.
The whole iPhone 17 chassis is color-matched, from the glass on the back to the camera plateau and aluminum casing. All the buttons, including Camera Control, are color-matched, too. Just like last year’s iPhone 16, the 17 models have a bit more color saturation around the vertical camera array, which should add a pop of color to the back even in the dullest of cases.
Lavender
If pale pink is your thing, this is the iPhone for you. It’s certainly one of the iPhone colors of all time, and that’s about all I can say.
Sage
This year’s sage is a pale green that’s not dissimilar to the hue of an original Game Boy screen.
Mist Blue
Mist blue might be the highlight of 2025 for me, since it’s very reminiscent of the Sierra blue Apple introduced with the iPhone 13 Pro.
White
Sitting somewhere between an iPod and a polycarbonate MacBook, the white iPhone 17 is the only model that embraces the natural silver aluminum finish.
Black
While iPhone 17 Pro fans are salty about the lack of a black option, anyone picking an iPhone 17 can choose this washed-out yet stealthy classic look.
- SoC
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A19 ship
- Display
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6.3-inches
- Storage
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256 or 512GB
- Battery
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Up to 30 hours of video playback
The newest addition to the Apple iPhone lineup offers new colors, the A19 chip, and the N1 networking chip.
iPhone 17 Pro Colors
Apple has reduced the number of iPhone 17 Pro shades to three this year, down from four last year. The chassis has also changed from titanium to aluminum, with a Ceramic Shield glass panel on the back (for wireless charging).
The iPhone 17 Pro’s entire chassis is a unibody color-matched design, with buttons and metal camera rings to match. Gone is the glass surrounding the camera array on the back, in favor of a bulkier camera plateau design.
Silver
In what is arguably the MacBook Pro of iPhones, silver stands out as a bright and natural unapologetic lump of aluminum. It’s the sort of silver you’ll find on an old 35mm film camera, and it’ll look great in pretty much any case.
Cosmic Orange
This year’s boldest choice, cosmic orange is a shade that you’re either going to love or hate. Hats off to Apple for going the loud route rather than some sort of rusty gold, I say.
Deep Blue
The closest you’re getting to black if you opt for an iPhone Pro in 2025. It’s dark enough to almost not register as blue, while being blue enough to be nowhere near black.
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- SoC
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A19 Pro chip
- Display
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6.3-inches
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
- Ports
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USB-C
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is the company’s most powerful smartphone to date, offering impressive cameras and the A19 Pro chip. It lets you do practically anything, including shooting quality videos.
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- SoC
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A19 Pro chip
- Display
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6.9-inches
- Storage
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256GB, 526GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Battery
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Up to 39 hours of video playback
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has many of the same specs as the iPhone 17 Pro, but you get a larger screen and up to 2TB of storage.
iPhone Air Colors
New for 2025, the iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone you can get your hands on and the only one that retains a titanium chassis. It’s available in four colors with a Ceramic Shield glass back and wraparound color-matched polished metal case with buttons to match.
The camera plateau makes an appearance here, being central to the iPhone Air’s thin design.
Sky Blue
It’s a subtle blue, but much like the iPhone 17’s mist blue, this is a personal highlight for anyone who enjoys cooler colors. If you’re looking at the picture thinking I’ve got the wrong photo, know that I had to check whether I had the blue in my hand while in-store. It’s barely blue.
Light Gold
Apple typically offers a golden hue with its titanium offerings, and the Air is no exception. Things look a little washed out on the back thanks to the Ceramic Shield glass, but the edges of the case shine bright.
Cloud White
A little less off-white and more metallic than the iPhone 17’s iPod look, cloud white looks exceptionally clean next to the mirror-like finish of the Air’s polished chassis.
Space Black
Apple loves to use this moniker for its deep black option, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. If you want an iPhone that’s unapologetically black, this is your only choice for 2025 outside of the iPhone 16e.
- SoC
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A19 Pro chip
- Display
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6.5-inches
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
- Ports
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USB-C
The iPhone Air is the newest model to join the iPhone flagship line, and its design is lighter and thinner than ever.
What’s the Best iPhone Color?
To state the obvious, the best iPhone color is the one you like the most. While we’ve tried to capture each color’s true likeness here (including taking a custom white balance), you might need to see each model in person before you decide which one you like the most.
As someone who is upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro this year (from a silver stainless steel iPhone 13 Pro), I’ve gone for the silver again. It should look good in literally any case, and though I nearly went for the cosmic orange I wondered if I’d live to forget it once the novelty had worn off. I’ve decided to pair it with Apple’s new green TechWoven case (let’s hope it holds up better than the ill-fated FineWoven cases).
The other standout this year is the space black and cloud white iPhone Air, with the other two shades looking more like “yellow white” and “blue white” due to how faint they are. The iPhone 17’s mist blue also looks great, and I was surprised by how much more I liked the sage in person compared to Apple’s pre-release photos. For me, the iPhone 17’s lavender and 17 Pro’s deep blue miss the mark.
What’s the Aluminum Pro Like?
Coming from a stainless steel iPhone 13 Pro, I expected the aluminum model to feel lighter. But a quick look at the spec sheet shows that there’s an imperceptible 2g weight difference between the two. So my main concern that switching chassis material would result in a “cheaper” lightweight feel was totally unfounded.
The unibody design might be one of Apple’s best yet. Regardless of how you feel about the camera plateau bulge, once you chuck a decent case on it, you probably won’t even notice it.
Picking the Best Color
You can head into an Apple Store or similar retailer to see the colors for yourself. If you’re thinking of wrapping up your iPhone in a case, make sure that you pick a color that complements it. While silver and black should go with just about anything, orange and lavender will not.
Feeling nostalgic for iPhones past? Check out some of the best iPhone colors of all time.
