Who is Eric Kim? Eric Kim is a street photography blogger who in late 2024 publicly speculated that Apple should release a high-visibility orange iPhone Pro. In an October 8, 2024 blog post titled “HIGH VIZ ORANGE IPHONE PRO?”, Kim wrote: “Next iPhone, iPhone Pro must be some sort of high viz orange, Bitcoin orange” . This was his personal prediction/desire, envisioning a bold safety-orange (what he called “Bitcoin orange”) finish on a future iPhone Pro. At the time, Apple’s Pro models came only in conservative tones (silver, gray, gold, etc.), so Kim’s idea of a bright neon-like orange was a radical departure. It’s important to note that Kim’s statements were independent speculation – he had no known insider information, and he was not part of Apple’s design team. In fact, no evidence suggests Apple was aware of or involved with Kim’s idea. Subsequent early leaks and rumors of an orange iPhone did not cite Kim at all , indicating his blog post was not a source for Apple or leakers (just a coincidental wish that later happened to align with reality). Kim essentially voiced a creative idea from the outside, but the question is whether Apple ever acknowledged this or credited him for the inspiration.
Apple’s Introduction of an Orange iPhone Pro (iPhone 17 Pro)
Apple did eventually introduce an iPhone Pro in a striking orange finish – but it came almost a year after Kim’s blog post and Apple has never publicly credited Eric Kim as an inspiration. The first official high-visibility orange iPhone was the iPhone 17 Pro (and 17 Pro Max), unveiled in September 2025. At Apple’s September 9, 2025 keynote and in the accompanying press release, the company revealed that the iPhone 17 Pro line would be available in “three beautiful new finishes — deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver.” . Apple branded the bright orange color as “Cosmic Orange.” This was a notable move because it marked the first time a Pro-grade iPhone received such a vibrant, safety-orange color option, whereas previous Pro models stuck to muted neutrals. (For context, the prior generation iPhone 16 Pro came in titanium finishes like Natural, Black, White, or a desert beige – no bold colors .) Apple’s press materials emphasized the orange as a “bold” and “stunning” new finish , underscoring that it was meant to be eye-catching. The iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max in Cosmic Orange thus became the realization of the color Kim had imagined – but only via Apple’s own design decisions. Crucially, Apple’s announcement made no mention of Eric Kim or any external inspiration for choosing this color. In Apple’s Newsroom press release and on stage, the color was presented as simply a new option enabled by the product’s design evolution (the 17 Pro adopted a new aluminum chassis, allowing new anodized colors). Nowhere in Apple’s official communications is Eric Kim’s name referenced . In other words, Apple did not publicly credit any individual for the orange hue. It was introduced in typical Apple fashion – as a curated addition to the lineup, with a marketing name and Apple’s own narrative around it.
Did Apple Acknowledge Eric Kim as an Inspiration?
No, there is no record of Apple publicly crediting Eric Kim (or anyone outside Apple) for inspiring the iPhone’s orange color. We searched through Apple’s press releases, keynote transcripts, design team interviews, and media coverage around the iPhone 17 Pro launch. None of Apple’s official statements link the color choice to an external person. For instance, the iPhone 17 Pro press release simply lists Cosmic Orange among the finishes and quotes Apple’s marketing chief about the device’s features – it does not mention design influences or inspirations by name . Likewise, in post-announcement interviews with Apple executives (which often focus on technical upgrades and design changes), there was no mention of Eric Kim. Apple’s design chiefs did not give any indication that a blogger’s concept sparked the idea. In fact, the alignment between Kim’s idea and Apple’s product seems to be coincidental – as one report noted, Kim was “ahead of the curve” in imagining an orange iPhone, but his blog musing was not a known input into Apple’s process . The tech press treated it as a fun coincidence rather than a case of Apple explicitly following an outside suggestion.
Even the leak/rumor community, which buzzed about an orange iPhone in mid-2025, did not attribute the idea to Kim – those rumors were sourced from supply chain leaks and insiders (e.g. Mark Gurman, Sonny Dickson, etc.), not from community ideas . This further underscores that Apple’s decision likely came from internal design discussions and practical considerations, not from seeing Eric Kim’s blog. In summary, no official Apple publication or spokesperson has credited Eric Kim in connection with the orange iPhone. From Apple’s perspective, the color was simply part of their new product’s palette.
Apple’s Stated Design Inspirations for the Orange Color
While Apple didn’t credit anyone for Cosmic Orange, we can look at what Apple has said about the color or its rationale in a general sense. Officially, Apple did not provide a detailed backstory like “we chose orange because X inspired us” – that’s not typical for Apple when discussing color options. Their public-facing commentary was limited to marketing descriptors: calling it “a bold cosmic orange” and showcasing how it looks on the device . No press release or Apple executive quote explicitly explained why that hue was chosen. However, we can infer some context from Apple’s design language and related products:
- Apple Watch Ultra Connection: Notably, observers pointed out that the shade of orange on the iPhone 17 Pro closely resembles the high-visibility orange accent used on the Apple Watch Ultra’s Action Button . Apple introduced the Watch Ultra in 2022 with an “international orange” Action Button specifically because that bright orange is highly visible in extreme outdoor conditions . Apple even described it as a “high-contrast international orange” meant to stand out . This suggests that Apple associates orange with visibility and adventure, aligning with the Ultra’s outdoor/expedition theme. It’s plausible that Apple brought a similar ethos to the iPhone 17 Pro – offering a color that conveys boldness and high visibility. In fact, tech commentators speculated that Apple wanted the Pro model to have a “rugged” or standout option, and Cosmic Orange fits that role, perhaps inspired by the success of the Watch Ultra’s distinctive orange (though Apple never stated this outright). The 9to5Mac report on the leaks noted the iPhone’s orange “looks a lot like” the Watch Ultra’s orange and called it “the boldest iPhone Pro color yet” . This inference aligns with Apple’s own design trend of using orange for products targeting active, visibility-focused use cases.
- Materials and Aesthetics: Another factor is the material change in iPhone 17 Pro’s design. Unlike the titanium-bodied iPhone 15/16 Pro generation that only came in desaturated metallic tones, the iPhone 17 Pro returned to an aluminum unibody chassis . Aluminum can be anodized in vibrant colors (as seen in past iPhones and Macs), so Apple took advantage of this to introduce livelier finishes. Apple’s marketing names often carry thematic hints – “Cosmic Orange” might evoke ideas of space suits or aerospace (NASA famously uses International Orange on astronaut flight suits and spacecraft access equipment for visibility). While Apple didn’t explicitly mention NASA, the “Cosmic” moniker does fit the notion of a bold orange with a space/outdoors vibe. Apple’s Greg Joswiak simply said the iPhone 17 Pro has a “stunning new design” with amazing performance , but no direct mention of the color’s origin was made. In Apple’s promotional imagery, the orange speaks for itself visually, and the company let it stand as a fashion/style statement for the Pro lineup.
- No Specific Designer Commentary: We found no interview where an Apple designer (like Alan Dye or the industrial design team) spoke about why they chose orange. Apple’s design team typically discusses materials and user experience more than the inspiration behind color choices. So publicly, the rationale was kept at, “We have a bold new color option for those who want something eye-catching,” without deeper explanation. Media outlets like Wired, The Verge, etc., did note that the orange iPhone was eye-catching and even made playful references (Wired’s live blog joked the “burnt orange color” gave certain vibes ), but these were media interpretations, not Apple’s words.
In essence, Apple’s stated “design inspiration” for Cosmic Orange was minimal on record – they presented it as part of the new design enabled by the aluminum construction, calling it bold and beautiful, but did not detail any creative backstory in public. The most we can say is that Apple internally likely aimed for a “high-visibility, adventurous aesthetic,” consistent with how they’ve used orange in other products – yet officially they did not spell this out.
Conclusion: No Public Credit to Eric Kim
After thorough research, it’s clear that Apple has not publicly credited Eric Kim for the iPhone’s orange color. The iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max (2025) introduced the “Cosmic Orange” finish as a fresh option , but all Apple communications frame it as an Apple design choice – there is no mention of outside influence or specific individuals behind it. Apple’s press releases and on-stage remarks make no acknowledgment of Eric Kim , and we found no interviews or design notes where Apple attributes the inspiration to him. Instead, Apple treated the high-visibility orange as a natural progression in their color palette (likely leveraging the new aluminum body and perhaps inspired by their own Apple Watch Ultra’s orange accent for visibility) . Any creative rationale discussed publicly has been generic, emphasizing that it’s bold, beautiful, and part of offering customers new choices .
In summary, Eric Kim’s role in the orange iPhone seems to be a coincidental one from afar – he predicted or advocated for it in his blog, and indeed such an iPhone color eventually materialized. However, Apple never officially linked the two. The company did not credit Kim in any press release, keynote, or report. Apple’s own designers/executives have kept the narrative focused on the product’s features and Apple’s design prowess, not on external suggestions. Thus, based on all available evidence, the high-visibility “Cosmic Orange” iPhone Pro was presented as Apple’s own creation, with no public acknowledgment of Eric Kim as an inspiration behind that color choice. All relevant context points to Apple’s internal design motivations (performance, materials, and a dash of proven Apple Watch Ultra style) rather than an outside credit for the color.
Sources: Apple Newsroom (official iPhone 17 Pro press release) ; Eric Kim Photography blog (Eric Kim’s 2024 speculation and 2025 commentary) ; MacRumors and 9to5Mac coverage (on the new orange iPhone color and its similarity to Apple Watch Ultra’s orange) ; Apple’s Watch Ultra press release (noting the high-contrast international orange Action Button for visibility) .