iPhone 17 Colors: Is Purple the New Color for the Base Model? We’re Tracking the Rumors

Got your sights set on the next iPhone? The latest colorful rumor that came out last weekend is that the iPhone 17 base model could come in purple or green.

In a post on X, well-known leaker Majin Bu teased the potential new colors for the iPhone, saying that Apple may just choose purple. And earlier this month, there were rumors of sky blue being added to the color lineup, too. We’ll get to all of that in a minute. 

While the rumored iPhone 17 may get a new camera design and faster charging capabilities — and even a skinnier model — the colors are always the fun, fresh and exciting updates to me. 

Over the years, we’ve been surprised by new iPhone colors, like yellow, pink and ultramarine. The current iPhone 16 and 16 Plus color options are ultramarine, pink, teal, white and black. The iPhone Pro and Pro Max come in four titanium colors: desert, natural, black and white. 

The rumored iPhone 17 is rumored to drop in September, so until Apple says more, we’re all playing the guessing game, with the help of some leaks and rumors.

Here’s what we’re hearing about possible iPhone 17 colors and a look at past color options. 

Purple could also be in the works 

Bu posted another rumor on X and their blog recently that Apple is testing purple and green, but that purple could be another new color for the iPhone 17’s base models. 

Bu said that purple could meet Apple’s rumored demand for more personalization while blending into Apple’s ecosystem for its other products. 

If green is added to the iPhone 17 lineup, Bu says it could be a “fresh and natural tone, ideal for a minimalist yet striking aesthetic.” 

The biggest rumored color so far: sky blue

The biggest rumored color for the iPhone 17 is sky blue. 

Bu posted the rumor of the new color on their blog, calling it “a refined, bright, and modern shade.” But why sky blue?

Perhaps because the latest M4 MacBook Air currently comes in sky blue, so an iPhone with the same color could be an aesthetic win for sky blue MacBook owners. 

Could an aluminum iPhone design bring more colors?

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a titanium frame, but analyst Jeff Pu predicted that the iPhone 17 could usher in the return of the aluminum frame for both the Pro and baseline models, as we’ve seen with earlier versions like the iPhone 14 lineup. Considering the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max’s colors are based on titanium, it raises the question: Will an aluminum frame mean new colors? 

The one phone in the iPhone 17 lineup that could have a titanium frame is the rumored slimmer iPhone 17 Air, according to Pu. We’ll have to wait and see what Apple decides. 

WWDC Bored Me. I Need Apple’s iPhone 17 Launch to Make a Splash

A look at past iPhone colors

Apple likes to release both new and familiar colors for every new iPhone release. 

Usually, we see more color variations for the basic models, and more neutral colors for the Pro and Pro Max iPhone models. For instance:

The iPhone 14 came in six colors: midnight, starlight, red, blue, purple and yellow. However, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models only came in black, silver gold and deep purple. The same is true for the 15 model phones, but Apple offered one fewer color for its base model.

iPhone 15 models were available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black, while Pro and Pro Max models arrived in more neutral tones like white, blue, black and natural titanium. 

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max colors didn’t change from the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. However, the other iPhone 16 models were available in ultramarine, teal, pink, white and black. 

How many new colors we may see from the rumored iPhone 17 is still unclear, but as of now, a sky blue option could be in your future.