The iPhone 14 was released on September 16, 2022, and it introduced several new features, including always-on display, crash detection, and satellite connectivity. However, one question many people have is whether the iPhone 14 can change colors like some Android phones can. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into whether the iPhone 14 models can change colors and look at some potential uses and limitations of color changing phones.
Can the iPhone 14 Actually Change Colors?
The short answer is no – the iPhone 14 models do not currently have the ability to dynamically change their color like some Android phones can. The colors of the iPhone 14 models are fixed and determined by the model you purchase.
For example, the standard iPhone 14 comes in Midnight (black), Starlight (white), Blue, Purple, and Product Red. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have color options of Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple. None of these colors can be changed by the user after purchase.
Some Android phones like the Vivo X70 Pro+ and Oppo Reno6 Pro+ 5G have used electrochromic glass technology on their rear panels to enable switching between two different color options. But no current iPhone models have this capability – their colors are static.
The Benefits of a Color Changing iPhone
While the iPhone 14 doesn’t offer dynamic color changing, there could be some potential benefits if Apple ever did introduce it:
- Personalization – Users could change their iPhone color to match their outfit, accessories, or preferences at any time.
- New look – Changing the color periodically could make the phone feel new and different.
- Reflect mood or occasion – Users could set colors to coordinate with moods, holidays, or special events.
- Privacy – Easier to disguise or blend in the iPhone in certain situations by changing its look.
- Expression – The color could allow users to express their style or personality.
- Accessibility – Those with visual impairments could use colors that are easiest to see.
Being able to actively change the iPhone’s color offers much more flexibility and customization than having to pick a single static color. It effectively gives users multiple iPhones in one.
Potential Use Cases for a Color Changing iPhone
If Apple were to introduce dynamic color changing in a future iPhone model, what are some of the likely use cases? Here are a few possibilities:
Coordinating with Outfits
One of the most obvious uses would be changing iPhone colors to match different outfits. Having an iPhone that matches your clothes, shoes, or accessories could allow users to have a more cohesive style.
For fashion-focused users, it could be appealing to preset color profiles like “business look” or “night out” to instantly change the iPhone’s color to complement their clothing.
Reflecting Occasions or Holidays
Changing the iPhone color based on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions could be a fun way to reflect the spirit of the event.
For example, using red and green during Christmas, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, orange and black for Halloween, or red, white, and blue for Independence Day in the United States. It offers a way to stylize the phone around important cultural moments.
Custom Themes
Users could create personalized color themes that reflect their hobbies, interests, or personality. A user could have their iPhone change to their favorite sports team’s colors on game days, school colors during homecoming, their preferred colors for focus and productivity, or colors associated with their astrological sign.
Privacy and Discretion
For users that want their iPhone to be more discreet in certain environments, the ability to quickly change colors could be advantageous. Changing to a color that blends into the environment when using your phone in settings where you want privacy could allow you to use it more discretely.
Accessibility
Users with visual impairments that make certain colors easier to see could use color changing iPhones for accessibility reasons. For example, they may be able to shift to colors with the most contrast against the background to make content most visible given their vision needs.
Alerts and Notifications
An iPhone that can change colors could also be configured to use color as a notification system for alerts and other events. It could flash certain colors for incoming calls, change to red when the battery is low, or turn green when receiving a text from a VIP contact. Colors could provide visual cues and notifications.
Limitations of Color Changing iPhones
While color changing iPhones have appealing benefits, there are also some limitations to consider:
- Higher costs – Adding color changing technology would likely increase manufacturing costs.
- Design constraints – More complex internal structure limits industrial design options.
- Color availability – Limited to preset color palettes, not customized mixes.
- Reflectivity – Transflective displays reflect light, limiting dynamic range.
- Power demands – Frequent color changing could reduce battery life.
- Durability – Electrochromic glass can degrade over time with extensive color switching.
Additionally, some users simply prefer having a single, consistent color for their smartphone. The ability to change colors may not appeal to certain customers.
While the visual appeal and customization options of color changing iPhones are intriguing, these limitations likely need to be overcome before Apple would produce an iPhone with this capability. But advancements in electrochromic technologies could make it a future possibility.
Electrochromic Technology for Color Changing
Currently, the most feasible way to create a color changing iPhone would be to use electrochromic technology in the display and rear glass panels. Here’s an overview of how this color changing tech works:
- Electrochromic materials – Made of chemical compounds that change color when electrical voltage is applied.
- Thin films – Electrochromic materials are layered into nanometer-thin films and coated on glass panels.
- Power source – A small battery or photovoltaic film provides the electrical voltage.
- Ions and electrons – When voltage applied, ions and electrons move between layers causing color shifts.
- Reversible reaction – The process can be reversed allowing colors to change back.
- Preset colors – Different chemical mixes enable specific color palettes.
This electrochromic technology allows for fast, reversible color changes triggered by an electrical current. It’s more complex than static colored glass but offers dynamic possibilities.
Are Color Changing Phones the Future?
Color changing phones are an intriguing concept that could become more viable and popular as the technology matures. Here are some factors to consider regarding the future of color changing smartphones:
Manufacturing improvements
Advances in materials science, thin films, and nanotechnology could make electrochromic coatings easier and cheaper to produce at scale enabling more consumer products.
New form factors
Foldable, stretchable, and flexible displays will create new product categories optimized for color changing tech and multiple color zones.
Increased demand
As consumers experience color changing tech in phones, demand will likely grow, driving further innovation and competition.
Enhanced durability
Better electrochromic materials that resist degradation after thousands of color changes will be needed for reliable, long-lasting color changing phones.
Broader ecosystem
Color changing capabilities will need to be supported by operating systems, apps, accessories, and services to enable compelling new use cases.
Mainstream adoption
If costs come down, and key ecosystem players get behind the tech, color changing phones could transition from novel to mainstream and become a standard feature.
While still early, color changing smartphone tech has progressed far enough that more manufacturers will likely experiment with integrating it into models over the next few years. Wider adoption will depend on overcoming limitations while enhancing applications. But the customization and personalization possible make this an innovation worth watching closely as it evolves.
Conclusion
In summary, the iPhone 14 does not currently offer the ability to actively change its color like some Android phones can. The colors of the iPhone 14 models are fixed at the time of purchase. However, electrochromic technology which uses electric signals to change glass color could allow for color changing iPhones in the future.
While there are limitations to overcome, the personalization, custom themes, notifications, and accessibility benefits make color changing smartphones an intriguing concept. As manufacturing techniques and supporting ecosystems continue improving, we may see color changing iPhones and other color changing devices become more viable and widely adopted. For now, the colors you choose for your iPhone 14 will remain constant, but increased consumer demand and maturing technology could bring dynamically changing colors to future iPhone models.
