During Apple's 'Peek Performance' March 8 event, the company dropped a slew of new and updated products, from the iPhone SE 3 to an all-new Mac Studio, and quite a few things in between. What they started with, of course, is a brand new color for both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro: Green and Alpine Green, respectively.
When I saw this, I was internally screaming as I continued to watch the event. Once again, Apple drops the best colors mid-cycle, pushing aside the early adopters and launch day buyers of the best iPhone, which is arguably its most popular product.
It feels like punishment for early adopters
Since the iPhone 3G, I have bought a new iPhone on launch day. For years, the colors that Apple dropped on the first day remained the colors you could purchase for the next year. There were no surprise color drops in the middle of the year.
It wasn't until the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that Apple began to introduce a new color halfway through the product cycle, and it started with PRODUCT(RED). Apple did the same thing with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, again with PRODUCT(RED) versions dropping in the spring, months after launch. It wasn't until the iPhone 12 that Apple did this again, with a purple color, and now it has happened again with the green iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro.
As you can see, Apple has been pretty inconsistent when coming out with a new color mid-cycle. It went years without doing so between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 12, showing that it's not completely necessary to boost mid-cycle sales. And if it wants to boost iPhone sales between flagship launches, well, it just announced an updated iPhone SE 3 for those who want an affordable iPhone, still prefer a Home button for Touch ID, or want to upgrade from the previous SE.
I'm just a little peeved that Apple keeps doing this, and with gorgeous colors that I would personally love to have, when there really isn't a need to do so. As a loyal consumer and early adopter, it feels like I continue to get punished for always buying a launch day iPhone. Yes, I understand that I'm not the "normal" average iPhone consumer. Still, the reason I need a new flagship iPhone each year is because of my line of work — how else can I write up guides on new iPhone features here at iMore without having the latest iPhone?
Seriously, Apple. Just drop all colors on launch, please.
At least the iPhone 13 Pro got a little more color to it
When I had the iPhone 11 Pro, I honestly was a big fan of the Midnight Green color. While it's pretty obvious (if you see the things that I own and wear) that my first favorite color is pink, green is another favorite. I loved the Midnight Green, and while I was sad it didn't return for the iPhone 12 Pro, I enjoyed Pacific Blue, which I dub "best blue." And even though I liked the green and blue options for these devices, I usually opt for the new color anyways just because it's the "new" color and an indicator that I have the latest iPhone.
Now, let's talk about that Sierra Blue for the iPhone 13 Pro. It's an icy blue, and while it looks good in specific lighting and angles, it's far inferior compared to Pacific Blue. It's just way paler and not as vibrant as Pacific Blue. Even though I wasn't sure about Sierra Blue, the other color options didn't appeal to me, and Sierra Blue was going to be the indicator that I had the latest iPhone.
But now Apple drops the lush Alpine Green color for the iPhone 13 Pro, which honestly looks very similar to Midnight Green (just Midnight Green 2.0 to me). To be honest, this new Alpine Green is the best-looking color for the iPhone 13 Pro, and I really wish I could have had this on launch day.
I mean, I guess it's a step in the right direction after we've been crying out for pro devices to have more color, right? Let's just get these great new colors on launch day, Apple.
Color just gets covered up by a case anyway
When I saw the green iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, I honestly considered selling my current 1TB Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro to get the Alpine Green. But at the end of the day, you know what? That's just silly and not worth it if I'm going to be getting an iPhone 14 Pro in a few months. Plus, as someone who tends to drop their phone a lot, that Alpine Green would just get covered up with one of the best iPhone 13 Pro cases anyway.
