Why that pink iPhone 13 rumor kind of makes sense – CNET [CNET]

It was only a matter of time before the great algorithm in the sky brought millennial pink and iPhone leaks together in capitalist matrimony. On May 5, a Twitter account called Peng Phones created a frenzy when it tweeted a photo of a pink iPhone 13 Pro Max render that looked like it was dreamed up by the same people who brought us “aesthetic” iPhone home screens. 

The phone, its color referred to as “Rose Pink” in the tweet, is surrounded by what appears to be other pink Apple accessories: AirPods, AirPods Max, an iPhone case. Peng Phones teased a December 2021 release date for the color option, though subsequent tweets from the same account also mention November 2021 releases for “Pink,”http://www.cnet.com/”Rose Pink” and even “Rosegold Pink” iPhones. 

The variation in color and release date wouldn’t be a complete surprise. Apple’s iPhone 12 release schedule was almost as complicated as its price structure, with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro arriving earlier than the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Mini. And Apple’s Pro line, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, come in different colors than the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, too:

iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max colors:

• Silver
• Graphite
• Gold
• Pacific blue

iPhone 12 and 12 Mini colors:

• Black
• White
• Blue
• Green
• Product red
• Purple

The veracity of this rumor is pretty hard to vouch for, not having originated or been corroborated by notable leakers with solid Apple-leak track records, and it’s certainly easy enough for anyone on Twitter to alter an image and call it a “leaked render.” A lot of the Twitter churn was of the skeptical variety:

But still, many Twitter reactions expressed hope (or at least a capitulation to capitalism that one could interpret as buying intent): “Capitalism is bad but the pink iphone is so sexy,” one person tweeted. Another just tweeted “manifesting” between two candle emoji with an image of not only a pink iPhone 13, but a pink Nintendo Switch, too. 

Apple hasn’t officially said anything about either a release date or any color options for the iPhone 13 (if that’s even what it’s called), so right now we can only speculate. But the odds of a pink iPhone 13 coming out in 2021? They’re not terrible. 

First, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has released a pink iPhone. The iPhone 5C, released in 2013, was available in pink. 2018’s iPhone XR came in coral, and the iPhone 6S from 2015 was sold in rose gold. Pink has been a popular color for tech ever since. Just this past February, Samsung also released phantom pink and phantom violet models of its flagship Galaxy S21 phone, with a more metallic sheen than the iPhone 13 render.

And second, Apple just released a new purple color option for the iPhone 12, another bone thrown to the ~aesthetic~ crowd. In fact, Apple also unveiled a redesigned iMac at an April virtual event available in a variety of throwback hues to match the company’s rainbow logo of yore. One of those iMac colors is, you guessed it, pink.

Apple does usually swap out one iPhone color from generation to generation, leaving the rest consistent. So it’s possible that a candy-colored pop of pink could oust the iPhone 12’s deep blue or mint green (or even the new purple). 

We won’t find out for sure until Apple announces the iPhone 13 (likely in September). Until then, follow along with all the juiciest iPhone 13 rumors here. And in the event that Apple doesn’t make our aesthetic dreams come true? You can always just buy a pink phone case.