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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Vibrant color has become a feature in itself.
- Tech companies are coming out with hardware that’s pretty in pink.
- There’s a growing interest in personalized, colorful technology.
Take a look around at the latest phone or headphone hardware launches, and you’ll see a surprising pattern emerge — the color pink.
Over the past few months, several established tech companies have unveiled hardware that’s pretty in pink. There’s the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones in its Sand Pink colorway. There’s the Nothing Phone 4a and Headphone (a) in a bubblegummy pink.
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic includes a Petal pink colorway. Even Apple is having some fun with the color with the latest iPhone 17e in soft pink and MacBook Neo in Blush.
Also: I can’t recommend cheap Samsung and Google phones when this Android rival exists
While pink is a good example of this vibrant tech renaissance, it’s not the only color attracting new customers. MacRumors speculates that out of all the MacBook Neo colors unveiled earlier this month, the color laptops — in Blush, Indigo, and Citrus — are selling more than their neutral counterpart, Silver.
Could this be proof that people are moving beyond monochrome and want more color in their tech these days?
Tech as an extension of ourselves
There are a few likely reasons why we’re seeing this shift in color preferences. The most reasonable explanation for the evolution of color in our consumer tech is the prevalence of technology. As we become increasingly reliant on our phones and wearables, and as the technology itself does more for us, it becomes more of an extension of ourselves than just another device we carry around.
That was the design philosophy behind Nothing’s latest phone and headphone lineup, as Nothing’s Lucy Birley, who leads the company’s Color and Material Design & Strategy, explained in an email to ZDNET. “Introducing pink to the lineup is part of our effort to give users more ways to reflect their personality through the tech they use every day.
It resonates with design and style-conscious consumers who see their devices as extensions of their identity,” Birley said.
Pink is an expressive color. It’s playful, fun, approachable, feminine, and youthful. It’s also the antithesis of a monotone, serious black or dark gray you often see on premium phones. “Pink in particular, represents a move toward technology that feels expressive rather than purely neutral,” Birley said. “Our goal is to bring in colors that feel optimistic, playful, and distinctive while still fitting within our transparent design language.”
These new colorways are an easy way to get a well-established product in front of a new set of consumers. That was the decision behind Sony’s Sandy Pink colorway on the WH-1000XM6 headphones, Sarah Houghton, Sony’s senior marketing manager, explained to ZDNET in an email.
Also: Sony WH-1000XM6 review: Still the king of ANC headphones? My verdict after months of testing
Houghton explained that the flagship headphone lineup’s customer base has grown significantly over the past few years. Before Sony added the pink colorway to the lineup, it only offered the premium headphones in silver, blue, and black. “Headphones aren’t only for tech enthusiasts anymore — they’ve become a necessary accessory for many people. With that in mind, Sony wants to provide options that suit a range of listeners,” Houghton said.
Tech isn’t only for tech enthusiasts anymore. Desk job workers need high-quality headphones for meetings, and students are replacing their pens, textbooks, and notebooks with Apple Pencils, iPads, and laptops. Everybody uses technology now, whether they want to or not. The market is responding to this adoption with further personalization.
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When Oura unveiled its Oura Ring 4 Ceramic lineup, which includes the aforementioned Petal Pink, Cloud White, Tide, and Navy Midnight, it marketed its smart rings (which have no technical differences from the more neutral-colored titanium Oura Ring 4) to emphasize personal style and self-expression. “Our goal is to make this wearable technology as beautiful and expressive as the jewelry we cherish,” Oura’s chief design officer, Miklu Silvanto, said in a press release announcing the product.
The price-to-color ratio
These new colors could also be related to the price of technology. Both the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo are Apple’s affordable devices, with the iPhone 17e starting at $600, $200 less than the iPhone 17 unveiled in September. Also, $600, the MacBook Neo is Apple’s first affordable laptop. As you go down in price, more expressive, vibrant colors seemingly emerge.
The exception to this, however, is seen in the Cosmic Orange color Apple unveiled on its premium iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max last year. The Cosmic Orange replaced the Black color that Apple had been including in its Pro and Pro Max lineup for years — and it was all the buzz. At the time of its announcement, the orange color felt like it superceded the phone’s technical specifications. People cared more about how the iPhone 17 Pro looked than about its new features.
Also: The MacBook Neo just upended the budget laptop market – and it’s bad news for PC makers
I’ve tested loads of boring, monotonous, and extremely advanced technology, and I welcome any upgrade that breathes new life and color into my everyday products — even if it means sacrificing a premium feature or two.
The first time I tried Nothing’s yolky-yellow Ear (a) earbuds, I was struck by how completely different they looked, compared to other gray or black earbuds I had tested. They were great earbuds, yes. But one reason I reached for them time and again was that that vibrant yellow was so easy to spot in my bag. Also, I could match them to my yellow jacket and yellow sneakers, one of the trendier shoe choices at the time.
It’s not always about battery life or software upgrades. Sometimes, it comes down to simple aesthetics.
