Report: The iPhone 16 Pro might come in a unique shade of "bronze"

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro, taken by Only_NewPhoto Shutterstock, on black background, with water droplets all over the back of the device
(Image credit: Shutterstock, Only_NewPhoto)

Funnily enough, one of the hotly debated topics surrounding the iPhone 16 Pro is what color it’ll come in. Back in late July, notable leaker Sonny Dickson posted an image on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) displaying dummy units of the smartphone in Natural Titanium (basically silver), White Titanium, and Black Titanium. There is supposed to be a fourth color, Rose Titanium pink, although some online sources refer to it as just Rose.

Sonny Dickson, as it happens, recently came back to X and shared another photograph of iPhone 16 Pro dummy units showing off four different colors. However, to everyone's surprise, the fourth device isn’t in pink, but brown. It is admittedly a strange color choice especially if you look at past leaks.

9To5Mac collected several of these reports and combined them into a single one, including one that mentions the iPhone 16 Pro would come in bronze. Now, when most people think of the color “bronze,” they normally imagine a shiny brown metal, but that’s not what we see in Dickson’s image. It’s a matte brown reminiscent of a caffè latte, a far cry from the polished metal seen in renders. 

Mixed reactions

Initial reactions from users are mixed. Some commenters underneath Dickson’s post seem to appreciate the new look and Apple’s potentially bold direction. Others, like those on the iPhone subreddit, are less charitable. They bemoan the lack of “fun colors” for the Pro model.

Reddit users wish the tech giant would’ve brought back the iPhone XS’ glossy Rose Gold. A couple of people stated that they will stick with their Blue Titanium and Alpine Green iPhones.

The question remains: how likely will Apple stick with “Bronze” as the fourth iPhone 16 Pro color? Dummy units, as 9to5Mac points out, “do a good job of representing new iPhone design… options”. That said, there’s always the chance the tech giant could opt for something more aesthetically pleasing. 

Or perhaps this whole thing is overblown. The lighting in Dickson’s photo is rather harsh, which has the unintended effect of making the Bronze hue look dull and leathery. Perhaps under different conditions, the mobile device appears more eye-catching.

Either way, we remind you to remain skeptical of these dummy units. Apple might make a different decision down the line.

While we have you, check out TechRadar's roundup of the best iPhones for 2024.

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Cesar Cadenas
Contributor

Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity.