When it comes to selling phones, color is important. Just ask Apple who is enjoying booming iPhone 7 sales of two particular models: black and jet black, both almost impossible to find within the first two months of sale of the device.
There is one color option these days that seems to be getting more and more popular: blue.
2016 was the year of blue and jet black
Blue phones are by no means new: we’ve had blue phones in the era of dumbphones some 10 and even 15 years ago (in fact, my first phone was a basic Motorola phone that I can’t even recall the name of, and it had a blue back). Some of the more popular Motor Razr phones were also blue, but a ton of others as well.
It’s interesting, though, that there is a renaissance, a search for the perfect blue: from the bold, neon-like blue on the new Google Pixel to the reflective and playful blue variations in phones like the HTC U Ultra and Honor 8, and then also the new specially composited blue metal on devices like the Huawei P9 and the Sony Xperia XZ. Take a look at this stunning variety of blue phones that you can buy right now and let us know: do you have a favorite?
To stand out of the crowd, the HTC U Ultra sports a "Liquid Surface", an all-glass design with highly reflective surfaces. The interesting and peculiar thing about it is that the of paint is applied under the glass layer that gives it a distinct look, all while preserving the vivid color. While the blue color option is the signature one for the series, the HTC U Ultra is offered in other colors as well: pink, white, and what appears to be a very dark shade of green.
Samsung made a big deal out of its Coral Blue shade that it released for both the Galaxy Note 7 (now discontinued) and the Galaxy S7 Edge. And for a good reason: the subtle, slightly pale shade of blue flows over to the front of the phone, completely encircling the phone. And it definitely stands out. A lot of people were excited to get this flagship phone with this new shade. Interestingly, the subtle blue shade that Samsung uses is actually different from the mostly darker shades of blue that other phone makers often prefer.
If you are looking for the most shocking blue color in a phone, the Google Pixel is definitely at the top ranks. Its "Really Blue" color is an inky, overly vivid tone that contrasts strangely with the white front of the phone. This definitely makes the phone noticed and we have heard people either love it or hate it, but it's rarely in-between.
The Huawei P9 is probably the best phone of 2016 that the America never heard of. Meanwhile, Huawei grew to become the world's third-largest phone maker and updated its P9 flagship with two new colors in the fall: the stunning blue and red. Both look amazing, with a brushed metal finish showing underneath the protective layer on the back, and making for a stunning look.
Sony brought an improved, evolved design this year with the Xperia XZ. The phone has a back made out of a special aluminum alloy that Sony calls 'Alkaleido'. In real life, it’s a shiny metal finish with a very smooth coating that actually makes it feel a bit like glass or glossy plastic. Its slightly colder temperature and darker character makes it one of the moodier blue phones out there. And it looks really good when it’s clean, but as all glossy surfaces, it's good at catching fingerprints and is getting smudged easily.
Honor, a Huawei offshoot that sells phone online only and because of this is able to undercut the competition in terms of price, really scored a winner in 2016 with the Honor 8. The phone was a true design master-piece, employing a complicated new finishing process and a beautifully polished glass frame, with a just-right, 5.2-inch form factor and fit. The blue underneath it reflects light in an extremely strange manner, creating peculiar reflections that you can gaze at with awe.
The Galaxy S6 was one of the first phones that predicted the flurry of blue phones that would hit the market in 2016. Winners get noticed and the Galaxy S6 was certainly one: probably its popularity and the popularity of its new glass design and trendy blue color inspired many other phone makers to go on a similar route.
Speaking about design and color would not be full if we did not mention Apple. Apple scored its own 'very blue' phone with the all-plastic iPhone 5C. Its toy-like look and weird case made it a strange combination, and it is now perceived as one of the less popular iPhones. Still, the light, creamy blue shade that Apple chose for it definitely turned some heads and inspired other phone makers to look in the direction of color in smartphones with serious intentions.
HTC, the early metal design pioneer in the smartphone world, was at it early: the metal blue version of the HTC One (M7, the original) was sold in fairly limited quantities compared to the mainstream grey version, but it had a peculiar charm to it. The brushed metal finish, the impressive blue color, all make the One an early trend-setter in design.
We're not going to go in the dark days of phones when there are many more blue phones to be found. However, we will end this with the 2012 Samsung Galaxy S III. An early revolution in design, the 4.8-inch flagship phone was not only among the thinnest phones out there at the time, it also carried a modern, pebble-like shape with rounded edges and was probably the first popular Android phone to add some color in a market dominated by black and grey.
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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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