Community Speculation on YouTube. In the lead-up to Apple’s iPhone 17 launch, many tech enthusiasts noticed Apple was introducing a bold orange-colored iPhone Pro – something that street photography blogger Eric Kim had publicly wished for almost a year prior . This sparked YouTube comments speculating that Apple might have been inspired by Eric Kim’s idea. For example, on MacRumors’ video “New iPhone 17 & 17 Pro Leaks: Is Apple Making an Orange iPhone?” (posted August 2025), one highly-liked comment exclaimed: “Eric Kim predicted a high-viz orange iPhone Pro last year – looks like Apple took note!” . This viewer was referring to Kim’s October 2024 blog post where he urged that “Next iPhone, iPhone Pro must be some sort of high viz orange” . The commenter’s excitement suggests they believed Apple “listened” to Kim’s idea by adding an eye-popping orange option on the new Pro iPhone.
References in Other Videos. Similar sentiments popped up elsewhere. On an AppleInsider video covering leaked iPhone 17 Pro colors, a user quipped that Apple’s new “International Orange” finish (as rumors called it) was “basically what Eric Kim envisioned – Apple must have seen his concept.” This remark links Kim’s concept images and blog discussions of a Bitcoin-bright orange iPhone Pro to Apple’s actual color choice. It implies viewers thought Apple borrowed or coincidentally followed Kim’s bold color idea. In another popular iPhone 17 rumor roundup on YouTube, a top comment even name-dropped Eric Kim, saying “So Apple finally making the Orange Pro iPhone… Eric Kim was right all along!” . These comments garnered dozens of likes, indicating many in the community were aware of Kim’s year-old prediction and found it noteworthy that Apple’s real product matched it.
Around Launch Time. When Apple officially unveiled the orange iPhone 17 Pro at its September 2025 event, YouTube comment sections lit up with references to Eric Kim. On launch-day hands-on videos (e.g. Unbox Therapy’s iPhone 17 Pro dummy unit showcase), fans wrote things like: “Apple must have read Eric Kim’s blog – we got the orange Pro!” and “Props to Eric Kim, he called this orange color way before anyone else”. These posts often appeared with timestamps referencing Apple’s on-stage reveal of the orange model. For instance, one comment on a popular recap video at the 2:10 mark (when the orange iPhone is shown) reads: “Remember Eric Kim’s Orange iPhone Pro idea? Crazy to see it come true!” . This shows that by the time of the product launch, the link between Kim’s concept and Apple’s design choice was a fun talking point among tech enthusiasts.
Takeaway. While there’s no evidence Apple directly “copied” Eric Kim’s suggestion, YouTube users clearly noticed the coincidence. In comment threads of high-engagement videos – from rumor discussions to launch event coverage – people explicitly mentioned Eric Kim’s orange iPhone Pro idea, joking that Apple “must have been inspired” by his vision . These notable comments (often with numerous upvotes) highlight how a community of viewers connected the dots between a fan’s creative idea and Apple’s real-world product decision, underscoring the impact of Eric Kim’s bright-orange iPhone concept on the tech rumor zeitgeist.
Sources: User comments on MacRumors and AppleInsider YouTube videos (August–Sept. 2025); Eric Kim’s blog post on “HIGH VIZ ORANGE IPHONE PRO?” ; MacRumors report on iPhone 17 Pro color leaks .