Spring may be a couple of weeks away, but Apple is already set for the sunshine and warmer weather. As rumored over the past several days, Apple has announced a new yellow shade of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
The new yellow color joins the existing midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, blue, and purple colors in the lineup. Nothing else about the phone has changed and there’s no yellow Pro version. The last time Apple sold a yellow iPhone was the iPhone 11, which followed the iPhone XR and iPhone 5c.
The yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus joins the five existing colors.
The yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus joins the five existing colors.
Apple
The yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus joins the five existing colors.
Apple
Apple
In our review of the iPhone 14, we described it as “good enough,” with good speed and a nice camera. While it doesn’t have the Dynamic Island or the always-on display of the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro, it brings enough new features to make it an excellent choice if you are looking to upgrade from an older iPhone. As for the iPhone 14 Plus, it’s a bigger version of the iPhone 14 (6.7 inches versus 6.1 inches), so you get a bigger screen and better battery life. If those two features matter to you then it’s a good choice.
We aren’t sure that the new color is a reason to rush out to buy a new iPhone, but it does give Apple a chance to grab some headlines and rekindle interest in the iPhone 14, which could explain why there’s no new Pro color. Unlike previous years, buyers are reported to be flocking to the Pro models due to the significantly better display, camera, and processor.
Apple has previously released several mid-cycle iPhone color refreshes. In March 2017 Apple introduced a (Product) Red version of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus; in April 2021, Apple launched a purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini; and a green iPhone 13 and Alpine Green iPhone 13 Pro joined the iPhone 13 line up in March 2022.
Will yellow be a popular choice? Maybe not, according to a CIRP study, most iPhone customers choose more muted shades. “For most models, the predominant color was black (or should we say midnight or graphite or space gray), followed by a shade of blue or white,” the report indicates. However, the study does suggest that the reintroduction of purple in 2022 proved popular.
Apple also released a new Canary Yellow silicon case that matches the new iPhone 14 color, which is available for all models. There are also new Olive (green), Sky (blue), and Iris (purple) options. The new yellow version of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will be available for preorder on Friday, March 10, with availability beginning Tuesday, March 14.
Author: Karen Haslam, Managing Editor
Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld more than two decades ago. Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Having edited the U.K. print and online editions of Macworld for many years, more recently her focus has been on SEO and evergreen content as well product recommendations and buying advice on Macworld.com.