Cupertino, California, April 19, 2026, 09:31 PDT
- Apple is said to be running tests on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in four colors: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver.
- Dark Cherry, the color reportedly slated for this year, would be a departure from the bright Cosmic Orange finish seen last year.
- Apple is still working on the color lineup—the company might decide to nix one before the launch.
Apple is said to be testing a subdued “Dark Cherry” color for its upcoming Pro iPhones, with supply-chain chatter indicating four colors are in the works for both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Macworld reported Friday. The new hue reportedly leans more toward deep wine than bright red, potentially positioning it as the standout finish if it makes it to launch. Macworld
This leak stands out now since Apple appears set to emphasize eye-catching design details again this year—even as the next phones may closely resemble the iPhone 17 Pro. Color choices have quickly turned into the go-to marker of a new generation, especially when updates to the frame, camera island, and display are subtle.
Light Blue, Dark Cherry, Dark Gray, and Silver are on the list of reported colors, each identified with its own Pantone code for internal use. The Pantone system, familiar in manufacturing for specifying exact hues, is in play here.
According to MacRumors, which pointed to a Macworld supply-chain contact, Dark Cherry should come off as subtler than the Cosmic Orange planned for the iPhone 17 Pro. Light Blue, on the other hand, is said to be close to Mist Blue found on the standard iPhone 17. The same piece notes the iPhone 18 Pro series still hasn’t hit mass production, so Apple could still tweak or drop color options ahead of launch.
There’s always that possibility. Apple has a track record of experimenting with color options—some never see the light of day. As Macworld pointed out, earlier chatter had black or steel gray on the table for the iPhone 17 Pro, but those versions ultimately didn’t end up in the retail lineup.
If Apple goes ahead with the new color, it would come after last year’s Pro lineup in deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver. At the 2025 launch, marketing chief Greg Joswiak described the iPhone 17 Pro as “a stunning new design rebuilt from the inside out”—signaling Apple’s push to link the Pro’s overhaul to both the look and the hardware underneath. Apple
The newest leak points to subtler tweaks this time. According to Macworld, which cited a source who reviewed CAD files—the technical blueprints behind the hardware—the Dynamic Island up top is set to shrink a bit, and the gap between the rear glass cutout and the camera bump looks a fraction tighter.
Mashable and several other outlets linked fresh iPhone 18 speculation to changes in the camera—specifically, talk of a variable aperture, a lens feature that controls light intake. For people focused on photography, that’s a bigger deal than just new colors, though it’s not something shoppers will spot at a glance.
The 2026 slate from Apple might get even more crowded. Macworld and MacRumors point to ongoing work on a foldable iPhone—leaks call it the iPhone Ultra—that could show up in toned-down colors like silver, white, and indigo.
If Apple makes the move, it’s another shot in the foldable phone race—territory where Samsung, Motorola, and Google are already vying for ground. Counterpoint Research sees the category gaining traction this year, especially as Apple’s rumored debut heats up the push toward book-style designs. “The market is nearing an inflection point,” associate director Liz Lee said. Counterpoint Research
Price remains unresolved. GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu flagged Apple’s supply-chain efforts as “cost management” designed to keep iPhone 18 Pro starting prices “unchanged” or close. Over at MacRumors in February, Ming-Chi Kuo also noted Apple’s push to “avoid raising prices as much as possible.” MacRumors
The most tangible shift at this point is purely visual, and nothing’s set in stone yet. If the leak is accurate, Apple’s 2026 Pro lineup could launch with a deeper red iPhone—quieter than orange, but hardly subtle.
