Apple’s “Glowtime” — the keynote event outlining the company’s new product and hardware innovations — just unveiled a brave new world for the iPhone 16: Hot. Pink.
Apple fans and viewers were on high alert for the chromatic reveal, after rumors circulated that the new shade range would finally embrace the old rainbow-inspired colors of the brand.
“PINK IPHONE THIS IS NAWT A DRILL!!!!” wrote one X user. “you guys we finally got a REAL PINK iphone 😭😭,” scream-cried another.
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In 2022, Mashable’s Elizabeth DeLuna noted Apple’s complete cultural miss in not tapping into the hot pink moment — an aesthetic shift pegged to a boom in popularity of what was coined “Barbiecore” — in favor of brand safe, subdued pink tones.
“The 2010s were enamored with shades that whispered; the 2020s call for hues that scream,” wrote DeLuna. “Cultural fascination with anemic millennial pinks and rose golds is dying. As the government wrenches away our bodily autonomy, and global warming threatens our existence, we are embracing the heat of hot pink.”
This year — defined by the neon green of Brat Summer and the high-energy, joy-filled campaign of Kamala Harris — demands similarly exuberant color shifts. And Apple has finally listened.
Unfortunately, those eager to get their hands on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have to pass on the new, unabashedly pink, which is only available on the standard models. The color is joined by two other jewel toned options, including a lighter, sea foam green color (“teal) and bright, cornflower blue (“ultramarine”). Standard black and white color ways are still available, too.
