This is the (Product) RED iPhone 7. And it's gorgeous. It has a really deep, really matte, almost lustrous red anodized finish on the back and sides. Unlike the rose gold and gold iPhones, Apple even color-matched the antenna lines so they all but disappear. I've had a Product (RED) iPod touch for years and this is even... redder. The look is beyond sexy. It's fire 🔥.
The faceplate is white, which has rankled some people. I totally get it. Black makes the screen look more expansive for dark interfaces, including video and gaming, but a lot of interface is white and bright these days as well, from good old web pages to the new Apple Music and News interfaces. Plus, white just looks lighter to me. I've preferred it since the gold and rose gold iPhones. (Selfishly, it's also easier to photograph since it doesn't show as much dust.)
The Touch ID sensor ring is silver. It's supposed to match the silver Apple logo embedded on the back. I get it but, audaciously, I'd have loved a red ring. That way it's apparent from the front that you're not using a silver iPhone but a (Product) RED one. Yes, scratch my surface and what do you find? More. Surface.
Like the Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, there's no 32 GB version of the (Product) RED, so your buy-in is at the 128 GB or 256 GB price points. Apple did that with the very first white iPhone as well. I'm not sure how much is supply balance and how much is positioning, but color has been shown to drive attraction as much as any new feature.
It's also for a good cause. Apple has donated $130 million to (Product) RED to date and a portion of proceeds from this special edition iPhone will be adding to that starting Friday.
We'll have much more on the (Product) RED iPhone soon, so stay tuned! (And if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below!)
