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Apple’s release of the PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus last month caught many consumers by surprise, coming just six months before the 10th anniversary handset is due to be announced.
But it probably shouldn’t have done considering the tech giant has been making products in collaboration with the Aids charity for many years, from iPhone cases back to early generations of the iPod.
These products have not only served as a very good way to promote a very worthy cause, but generally the striking red used tends to create a statement version of whichever Apple product it is wrapped around.
With this in mind it is surprising then that Apple has waited this long to give the iPhone the PRODUCT(RED) treatment, given its status as the company’s most popular and most widely recognised device.
Perhaps there was a fear a red version of the phone would be dismissed as a gimmick – indeed releasing it in March before the next iPhone is due in September does have a whiff of wanting to fill the gap between launches.
But while some will want to be critical of the approach, it’s difficult to argue with the end result when you see it.
The stainless steel Apple logo on the rear of the PRODUCT(RED) is bold and striking – everything good smartphone design should be. The way the colour wraps onto the side of the device means this version of the iPhone is even impressive from a side profile.
In short it stands out, the way Apple wants the iPhone to – indeed the way any smartphone maker wants their flagship handset too – it’s way we see so much time and effort spent by the likes of Apple, Samsung, Sony and HTC in talking about the “design story” of their glass and metal creations.
It’s not perfect by any means – thee’s a strong argument that it would actually look better with a black front rather than the white one it has. It also feels like a slightly missed opportunity that the metal Touch ID ring on the home button isn’t finished in the same red.
It’s also only available in top end memory capacities – 128 and 256GB – so you have no choice but to pay more than you would for other versions of the 7 or 7 Plus.
However, the PRODUCT(RED) iPhone is now arguably the most striking of the iPhone designs – it will split people in the same way rose gold has in the past, but it’s gotten people talking, and in many ways that’s a victory in itself, and why Apple should make this shade of phone a permanent fixture.
