New Mid-Cycle iPhone 15 Color Looking Less Likely This Year

Apple's usual strategy of introducing a new mid-cycle iPhone color in the spring is unlikely to be replicated for the iPhone 15 this year, if a new rumor out of Asia is anything to go by.

iPhone 14 Yellow Feature 2
Apple usually introduces new ‌iPhone‌ color options in the spring to boost sales midway through the device's product cycle, keeping the device top-of-mind for consumers at a time when the next iPhone launch is still another six months away.

Apple has used the tactic frequently in recent years. In 2017 and 2018, it released red mid-cycle versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 lines, respectively. Then in 2021, Apple added a purple color to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models for the spring season in late April.

In March 2022, the iPhone 13 lineup received new green finishes, and in the same month last year, Apple released the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in a new yellow color. Each new color launch has been accompanied by a significant ad campaign to attract new customers and upgraders who did not make a purchase when the latest iPhone series was originally launched in the fall. This year could be different, however.

According to Chinese Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, there is no new spring color scheme on the cards for the iPhone 15. It's also worth noting that Apple has already launched several iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands in refreshed color options. The refreshed accessories arrived when Apple released the new MacBook Air in early March. In previous years, such a move has often been accompanied by a new iPhone color.

Why Apple would forego the opportunity to boost sales in the middle of an iPhone cycle is not entirely clear, so it is worth taking the latest rumor with a pinch of salt for now. Production delays have reportedly pushed the release of new iPads into May, and Apple is not expected to hold a launch event to announce the devices, but the debut of a new iPhone color could always come separately in the form of a press release, which Apple has opted for in the past.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Samsung Developing 'Wide Fold' With iPhone Fold-Like Design Ahead of Apple's 2026 Launch

Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026. Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
iphone fold 3d print

Have a 3D Printer? You Can Make Your Own iPhone Fold Dummy

Tuesday December 23, 2025 1:31 pm PST by
Apple is working on a foldable iPhone that's set to come out in September 2026, and rumors suggest that it will have a display that's around 5.4 inches when closed and 7.6 inches when open. Exact measurements vary based on rumors, but one 3D designer has created a mockup based on what we've heard so far. On MakerWorld, a user named Subsy has uploaded a 1:1 iPhone Fold replica (via Macworld), ...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...

Top Rated Comments

GrzMik Avatar
22 months ago
There’s no point, since this year colors are so washed I would buy black model only. What they were thinking!?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
22 months ago

New Mid-Cycle iPhone 15 Color Looking Increasingly Unlikely This Year
I can imagine an unlikely color (dark beige?), but an increasingly unlikely color? ? I’m curious how that will look like.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
polyphenol Avatar
22 months ago
Why this bizarre phrasing which, in numerous minor variations, is widespread, "increasingly unlikely"? Making the adverb (more or less positive) clash with the adjective (more or less negative). Why not "decreasingly likely"? Or, and I'm sure this is far too simple, "less likely"?

Time was, headline writers were desperately trying to shorten and simplify, not lengthen and mangle.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
22 months ago

Why this bizarre phrasing which, in numerous minor variations, is widespread, "increasingly unlikely"? Making the adverb (more or less positive) clash with the adjective (more or less negative). Why not "decreasingly likely"? Or, and I'm sure this is far too simple, "less likely"?

Time was, headline writers were desperately trying to shorten and simplify, not lengthen and mangle.
[HEADING=2]New Mid-Cycle iPhone 15 Color Looking Decreasingly Likely This Year[/HEADING]

Better?
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZiBart Avatar
22 months ago
90% of iPhone users have a case on, i really see little value in color variety. It used to matter more when the front bezel was either white or black.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
22 months ago

Pointless, expensive and wasteful marketing ploy. I don’t see how these mid-cycle additions help.

I only upgrade every 2-3 years as it is, and I’ve only ever bought a black iPhone… what would releasing a yellow iPhone now do for me? I’m waiting until September to *think* about upgrading my 14 Pro to a 16 Pro, and that’s only a maybe at this point.
I think they develop the new colours at the same time as the originals and just hold them back for mid-year and presumably the reason they kept doing it was that they did see a bump in sales (so not wasteful) at the mid year point when all the early adoption and holiday sales peaks had passed.

As for your question, releasing a yellow colour phone would do nothing for you. But it might do quite a lot for people who want a yellow phone ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)