While iPhone sales are largely driven by the camera, screen, and battery stats, color also matters to many customers. So retailers and wholesalers should consider the most popular iPhone colors when restocking.
What Is the Best iPhone Color for Resale?
There’s no simple answer to the question of which iPhone color is best. The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, 12 and 12 Mini, 11 Pro and Pro Max, and other models come in a range of colors, and iPhone color preferences tend to vary by model and geography. Targeting and stocking the iPhone colors your customers want can drive sales and reduce dead stock.
What iPhone Colors Are Available?
Here’s a breakdown of iPhone colors by model; keep in mind that options for certain handsets have expanded over the years.
- iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max — graphite, silver, gold, and blue
- iPhone 12 and 12 Mini — white, black, blue, green, and red
- iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max — gold, gray, green, and silver
- iPhone 11 — white, black, green, yellow, red, and purple
- iPhone XS and XS Max — silver, space gray, and gold (all colors come with a black front to minimize the look of the notch)
- iPhone XR — black, white, blue, red, yellow, and coral (the most color options since the iPhone 5c was released)
- iPhone 8 and 8 Plus — silver, space gray, gold, and red
- iPhone 7 and 7 Plus — matte black, jet black, silver, gold, rose gold, and red
- iPhone 6s and 6s Plus — silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold
- iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — silver, gold, and space gray
Quality is key, regardless of which iPhone models and colors you sell. Choosing iPhones that are accurately graded and have passed key functional tests ensures your customers can buy top-notch models that meet their expectations.
Which iPhone Color Has the Best Resale Value?
The best way for retailers and wholesalers to answer this question is to look at their own sales figures, since Apple doesn’t release information about which iPhone colors sell the best. And, even if it did, those sales figures might not reflect the preferences of your consumers buying used iPhones.
As your iPhone sales increase, you can identify and review iPhone sales patterns and trends. You can use this data to determine which iPhone color has the best resale value for you.
That being said, WeSellCellular is pleased to share the observations we’ve collected over time, based on what retailers and wholesalers buy from us. Here are some of the trends we’ve seen in regards to the most popular iPhone colors.
Most Popular iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max Colors
In terms of iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max colors, wholesalers prefer blue and gold over all other colors. It makes sense that blue is popular for this model, given that this color was newly introduced with the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max. Blue iPhones are sleek and eye-catching, and are unlike any other iPhone models on the market. It also makes sense that gold is a highly coveted color for the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, as gold appears to be the most popular color in all the models for which it is offered. Our guess is that gold is popular in higher-end iPhone models because it signals high status and exclusivity. We’ve found this has been the case with the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, along with the XS and XS Max.
Most Popular iPhone 12 and 12 Mini Colors
When it comes to iPhone 12 and 12 Mini colors, consumers like the white, red, and blue models. They are less interested in green, despite the fact that this color gives the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini a distinct appearance.
Most Popular iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max Colors
Gold and silver are popular iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max colors. This further highlights the fact that consumers often prefer iPhones that offer a high-end look and feel.
Most Popular iPhone 11 Colors
White and purple are the top choices for iPhone 11 colors. We’ve found that white is consistently popular with both the iPhone 11 and 12 and 12 Mini. Meanwhile, purple made its debut with the iPhone 11 and remains a novelty for consumers.
Along with understanding the most popular iPhone color options, it helps to learn about the least popular ones. That way, you can further home in on which iPhone models will generate the most interest from your customers. You can then browse our inventory to find popular iPhones that meet your consumers’ expectations.
What Is the Least Popular iPhone Color?
Gray and black are commonly viewed as boring and less exciting than other iPhone colors. As such, sales of gray and black iPhone models tend to be lower than those associated with others.
Rose gold is an unpopular iPhone color, too. Apple released its first rose gold iPhone (the iPhone 6S) in September 2015. But, the rose gold finish was discontinued two years later after the release of the iPhone 7 Plus.
The super-shiny, easy-to-damage jet black is probably the least popular iPhone color among used wholesalers and retailers. This is due to the fact that the finish is extremely delicate. It can be tough to get a used jet black iPhone that isn’t showing its age.
What Factors Impact Popular iPhone Colors?
In addition to visual appeal, there are other factors that impact the popularity of iPhone colors. These include the iPhone model and geography.
We have found that wholesalers and retailers of used devices care less about color when purchasing older models. When purchasing an older iPhone model, our customers frequently look for the best price above other considerations. They also consider the device’s condition and age before they evaluate its color.
Ultimately, color tends to be a factor for buyers that are purchasing the iPhone 8 Plus and newer models. The location of the buyer also plays a role in what colors are preferred. In parts of Europe, buyers tend to prefer plain black phones. Each country and possibly each city will have different phone color preferences, though it’s hard to say what drives those preferences or how they will change over time.
How to Gauge Consumers’ iPhone Color Preferences
Evaluating iPhone sales data offers a great starting point to gauge consumer preferences. You can also use consumer surveys as part of your efforts to determine which iPhone colors are most popular among consumers.
Consumer surveys can give you insights into the most popular iPhone color. For instance, a survey conducted in 2012 by Phonearena.com found that people overwhelmingly preferred black phones. But more recent iPhone-specific surveys have shown that red and gold may be fan favorites. These recent surveys are more in line with the experience that we have had at WeSellCellular.
Reviewing iPhone market forecasts can provide valuable information to help you get the most value out of your inventory. These forecasts come from research firms that examine all aspects of the iPhone market. They can help you make data-based inventory projections and determine which iPhone models and colors to sell.
Apple regularly updates its iPhone models and colors. For example, Apple launched the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max in blue in 2020. With the iPhone 11, Apple unveiled green and purple models.
Over the past decade, Apple has released a new iPhone color annually or every other year. If you track Apple news, you’re well-equipped to keep pace with new iPhone models and colors as soon as they become available.
Another thing to keep in mind when you restock your inventory: Consumer preferences may not reflect actual sales. A cost-conscious consumer may like the red iPhone best but will buy a white model if that’s the most budget-friendly choice. Consumers also tend to care more about a phone’s condition and stats than its color when they’re buying low-end devices.
Finally, we know there is less demand for the more “out there” iPhone colors, like the iPhone 5c and XR options. New iPhone colors often sell out faster in pre-order, since there may be fewer of them produced. Eventually, the initial excitement fades away for these colors — the early popularity of the rose gold iPhones 6s is an example of this.
Offer the Most Popular iPhone Colors to Your Buyers
Which phone color is best will ultimately be influenced by what your customer base looks like. Some retailers will only buy used iPhones from a wholesaler if it offers a mix of colors, so wholesalers that sell to retailers or other wholesalers should carry a mix of different color options.
Resellers may not need to worry as much about color, unless they can identify trends in their own sales. Remember, iPhone resale value depends a lot more on the battery, the condition of the handset, and the generation. If you have customer demand for a less sought-after color, this could be a great opportunity, since you may be able to get those handsets at an economical price.
These are broad observations based on our iPhone sales history. We encourage you to use them when considering which iPhone models and colors to purchase for your inventory.
If you want to see which iPhone models and colors are currently available, check out our inventory today. Here, you can get real-time information about iPhones in multiple colors, receive stock updates, and more.
