Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup may bring a new splash of color to its typically understated palette. According to a post by the Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is reportedly experimenting with richer, more distinctive finishes—specifically brown, purple, and burgundy. While these rumored shades don’t sound as audacious as last year’s Cosmic Orange, they could push Apple further away from the conservative tones that defined its Pro series for years.
The iPhone 17 Pro marked a rare design shift for Apple, introducing bold hues like Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue alongside the standard silver and gray tones. The move split opinion—some praised the brighter, more playful approach, while others missed the minimalist palette that long defined Apple’s premium devices. If the new leak proves accurate, Apple seems ready to double down on color as a key design differentiator for its flagship phones.
Though no photos have surfaced, early descriptions suggest Apple may use deeper, richer shades with a textured aluminum frame and a matte-finish glass center—mirroring the tactile balance of the iPhone 17 Pro. It’s also possible that the company will again forgo a traditional black or Space Gray option, continuing the experiment with non-traditional finishes. That could frustrate purists who prefer Apple’s classic look, but it would keep the Pro lineup visually distinct from the standard iPhone models.
Color has become a quiet but powerful part of Apple’s hardware identity in recent years. The company once reserved its boldest shades for the non-Pro iPhones, but that boundary has blurred. The iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange, for example, was both polarizing and a hit on social media—a sign that users now see color as a form of personalization in an increasingly homogeneous smartphone market.
Still, the iPhone 18 Pro remains several months away, and early prototype colors don’t always make it to production. Apple often tests a wide range of finishes before settling on final options. These rumored tones may simply reflect early experimentation rather than a confirmed design direction.
If the company does follow through, though, Apple’s next Pro phones could blend luxury materials with bolder, more expressive colors—making the 2026 lineup one of the most visually distinctive in years. Whether that excites fans or alarms minimalists, it signals a small but notable shift: Apple is loosening up its color philosophy, one shade at a time.
