This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange. | Image by PhoneArena
By the standards of the post-AI era, the iPhone 17 series should have failed. Based on the customer wishlist, however, Apple delivered a winner, especially as far as the Pro models are concerned, and that bet is paying off. Interestingly, the main driver of the success isn't the 18MP front camera, 48MP telephoto camera, bigger battery, or even the revamped design. No sir. Instead, the reason is seemingly banal: the orange paint job.
Orange is the new black
The iPhone 17 Pro is Apple's first high-end phone to omit a black colorway. This risky pivot is paying dividends in one of Apple's largest markets: China. The orange color makes the device instantly recognizable as a premium, new-generation model.
The orange color, which Apple has named 'cosmic orange,' has drawn favorable comparisons to the signature hue of luxury brand Hermès.
Apart from the iPhone 17 Pro's vibrant orange option, the phone's design also appealed to customers.
Orange you glad?
The iPhone 17 Pro is a global hit. | Image by PhoneArena.
It's not just in China that the iPhone 17 Pro is popular. The device's popularity has also boosted global sales, helping Apple overtake Samsung as the world's largest smartphone maker in 2025.
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What makes this feat particularly impressive, particularly in the competitive Chinese market, is that it lacked many of the AI features offered by devices from competitors.
This is a win not just for Apple, but for customers who feel shortchanged by companies slacking on yearly hardware and specs upgrades in favor of over-the-top AI features.
Have you ever bought a phone for its color alone?
Apple still needs to step up
One of the reasons behind the high demand for the iPhone 17 family was the pent-up demand from customers who last purchased a device in 2020. While the stars aligned for Apple this year, Bloomberg believes the company needs to rebuild its hardware and operating system around AI to stay competitive, or risk lagging behind companies with an AI-first mentality.
Wholeheartedly or not, the world has accepted AI as a permanent fixture, and sooner or later, Apple's devices will start feeling dated in comparison to AI-native gadgets.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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