The majority of users care more about iPhone’s appearance and beauty, than it does with speed! But I haven’t stopped caring how my phone performs and looks. Which is why when I read a rumor about the forthcoming iPhone 17 only one thing jumped out at me and it wasn’t some piece of performance or feature information.
It added that the iPhone 17 Pro could be available in some iOS 26’s new Liquid Glass design colourways. These colors may resemble some of the more fun ones Samsung used in the past. That got me thinking: What if Apple’s best phones looked as exciting as its more affordable options?
For a long time now, Apple has had two varieties of iPhones: The regular ones, and the Pro models. The standard iPhones cost less, have weaker specs and are offered in more vibrant, fun colors. The Pro models are more expensive and have better features, but their colors tend to be staid, like black, white or silver-gray compared with one new color each year.
For flagship phones, I find their color options to be kind of meh. Just as the iPhone 16 Pro was released in “desert titanium” (that is, gold). Earlier than that the iPhone 15 Pro was released with grey-blue colour options and in 2022 the iPhone 14 Pro released white, added gold, and brought in a light purple option, alongside a trusty black and silver. And this trend just continues.
For some folks shelling out north of $1,000 for a top tier iPhone, they likely want something that looks sleek and professional — not loud and colorful. They want to look high-end, without going over the top. But I’m not one of them. I mean, c’mon! I believe a high-end phone should offer fun, colorful hues — not just the same disappointing dreary options.
I know a lot of people don’t care about color at all since their phone is in a case 99% of the time just to stay safe, and that’s fair as well, but for me if I’m dropping this much money on a phone it better look fun and pretty at least.
So when I heard that the iPhone 17 Pro might come in a new Liquid Glass design and is expected to launch in September, like every year, I got a little excited. But there’s a catch: the rumor came from a Weibo leaker named Instant Digital and didn’t include any pictures. According to the translated info, the new color might be white, but with a special finish that changes slightly depending on the lighting.
The Case for More Color in High-End Phones
At WWDC in June 2025, Apple introduced its new Liquid Glass design for the iPhone 17 Pro, along with a fresh look for iOS 26. The update featured more translucent effects and rounded icons to give the interface a modern feel.
But when developers first tested it, many didn’t like it. They found it confusing and said it was hard to tell the icons apart, especially in the Control Center. Fortunately, Apple made improvements, and now the public beta of iOS 26 looks and works much better.
It’s a bit hard to imagine how the Liquid Glass design will look as an iPhone color. The leaker, Instant Digital, says it will be white but will change the color slightly in different lighting, which gives us some hints.
It might even look like some popular phone colors from the past. For instance, the 2018 Samsung Galaxy S10 had a prism white color that shifted shades when you moved it in light, showing soft tones of pink, purple, and blue. If Apple goes in a similar direction, it could make the iPhone 17 Pro feel a lot more lively and unique.
Now compare that to the Galaxy Note 10 from the same year, which came in a bold “Aura Glow” color. It reflected almost every color of the rainbow and was super eye-catching. But let’s be honest, it will probably be a bit too flashy for Apple’s usual style.
Still, it showed how much fun phone colors can be. The only downside? The shiny glass back looked great, but wasn’t very durable if you dropped it.
If Apple found a balance between subtle shine and strong design, it could offer something truly fresh without going overboard.
Apple has used subtle shimmer before with the iPhone 13’s deep midnight black and soft starlight white. But looking at the past Pro models, it’s unlikely we’ll see anything as bold as Samsung’s colorful phones.
I am always expecting that the iPhone 17 Pro endeavors something different. A little extra color might just be what makes the new Liquid Glass design feel exciting, whether we’re ready for the change or not.
