Eric Kim’s High-Visibility Orange iPhone Pro Vision
In late 2024, photographer and blogger Eric Kim openly speculated that Apple’s next iPhone Pro should come in a bold, high-visibility orange color. In an October 8, 2024 post titled “HIGH VIZ ORANGE IPHONE PRO?”, Kim wrote: “Next iPhone, iPhone Pro must be some sort of high viz orange, Bitcoin orange.” . By “Bitcoin orange,” Kim meant a vibrant safety-orange hue akin to the bright orange of the Bitcoin logo – a color far louder than the subdued silvers, grays, or golds Apple typically used on Pro models . Kim’s idea was essentially a “safety orange” iPhone Pro, a dramatic departure from Apple’s usual palette. He even doubled down on this vision in subsequent posts and concept mockups, imagining a “Matte Titanium Orange” iPhone Pro to illustrate how such a device might look . At the time, this was purely Kim’s personal wishful prediction – he had no insider information, just a bold design proposal born from his creative perspective.
Public Reception and Rumors of an Orange iPhone
Initially, Kim’s orange iPhone idea lived on his blog and in his photography circles, without obvious mainstream attention. However, within months rumors in the tech community began to echo the possibility of an orange iPhone. By mid-2025 – well ahead of Apple’s fall launch – multiple reputable leaks suggested a high-end iPhone in a shade of orange was actually in the works . For example, in August 2025 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro would debut a new orange color option . Leak sites like MacRumors and 9to5Mac also noted dummy unit photos and part leaks showing a “shade of orange” chassis among the iPhone 17 Pro models . One leaker described it as a copper-like finish, suggesting a metallic orange tone, while another leak showed actual components (like buttons) in a “vibrant orange” that observers likened to the bright orange Action Button on the Apple Watch Ultra . By summer 2025, an orange iPhone Pro was widely anticipated – even major media were buzzing about “an ORANGE (!!!) iPhone coming soon,” highlighting how unusual and exciting a neon-like orange flagship would be . Apple’s September 2025 event teasers even seemed to play on these rumors (for instance, hints of orange in event graphics), reinforcing that a bold orange was likely on the way.
Rumored iPhone 17 Pro color options (including a high-visibility orange) shown in leaked dummy unit images. Apple’s move to consider a bright orange Pro model surprised many, as previous Pro iPhones stuck to muted tones . This “safety orange” hue is far more eye-catching than the silvers, grays, or blacks that have dominated Apple’s premium lineup.
No Direct Evidence of Apple Citing Kim’s Idea
Despite the striking alignment between Kim’s 2024 prediction and the 2025 leaks, no direct evidence links Apple’s design team to Kim’s blog. Apple has made no public acknowledgments that an outside idea influenced their color choice – which isn’t surprising given Apple’s secretive culture. In reviewing connected sources (designer interviews, social media, design documents), nowhere do Apple employees or insiders reference Eric Kim or his “Bitcoin orange” blog posts. Analyses of the leaks confirm that major sources like Gurman and others never cited Kim as an inspiration or tipster . In fact, Kim himself was not involved in any rumor supply chain; his blog musings appear to have been completely independent, not based on insider info . The timing seems to be an intriguing coincidence rather than a case of Apple explicitly adopting a fan’s idea.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s industrial designers rarely, if ever, credit external suggestions for product ideas. There have been no known Apple designer interviews in which someone says, “we read a blog post and decided to do that.” This holds true in this case as well – no Apple designer has publicly mentioned Eric Kim’s prediction, and no leaked design roadmap mentions it either. Apple tends to present new colors or features as a natural evolution of their design philosophy or technology, not as responses to outside commentary. Thus, from a hard-evidence standpoint, there is nothing concretely tying Apple’s orange iPhone decision to Eric Kim’s public suggestion. It appears Apple’s decision arose internally (or via standard market research/leaks), with Kim’s idea being a prescient outside perspective that happened to align with Apple’s direction a year later .
Apple’s Design Culture: Insular Yet Trend-Aware
To understand whether Apple could have been influenced by an outside prediction, it helps to examine Apple’s design culture. Historically, Apple’s design team is known for being highly secretive and internally driven. Legendary Apple designers like Jony Ive operated in a near-sealed creative environment, guided by Apple’s own vision and long-term product plans. Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs famously eschewed focus groups, believing “customers don’t know what they want until we show it to them.” In that spirit, Apple typically does not crowdsource ideas from bloggers or forums – design decisions are made years in advance based on Apple’s internal goals, technology capabilities, and aesthetic direction.
That said, Apple’s designers are not immune to the broader world of design and cultural trends. Apple often draws inspiration from the larger creative community, though usually from established design principles or timeless sources rather than one-off internet posts. (For example, Jony Ive openly acknowledged being influenced by the work of German industrial designer Dieter Rams, and Apple has looked to classic Braun designs, modern architecture, and even nature for inspiration in form and color.) When it comes to product colors, Apple’s design team does pay attention to material and color trends in society – just in a very deliberate way. According to former Apple designers, Ive’s industrial design group would prototype devices in “a dizzying array of hues” internally – sometimes testing dozens of color shades – long before choosing the final options . “You can imagine a Crayola box with 64 colors in it,” recalled one ex-Apple engineer, noting that Apple’s team would mock up products in many colors (including vibrant ones like hot pink or orange) and iterate repeatedly . In other words, Apple often considered bright oranges and other bold colors in-house as part of their exploratory design process – even if those never saw the light of day in final products.
Furthermore, Apple has a dedicated Colors and Materials group that studies finishes and hues. This team reportedly analyzes “the demographics of the target market, trying to identify favorite colors [and] color trends” when developing a product’s palette . So while Apple might not take a cue from a specific blogger, they certainly gauge the general zeitgeist around colors. If high-visibility colors are becoming popular in culture (for example, the rise of neon or “streetwear” aesthetics), Apple’s trend analysts would know. The concept of a bright orange tech device wasn’t unique to Eric Kim – high-vis orange is a familiar color in safety gear, outdoor products, and even other electronics. In fact, Apple itself had already embraced safety orange accents in its product line before any orange iPhone rumor: the Apple Watch Ultra (2022) features a prominent bright orange Action Button and optional orange watch bands, chosen for visibility in outdoor use. This shows Apple’s designers were aware of the functional and aesthetic appeal of that orange tone on a “Pro” grade product (the Ultra) independently . It’s plausible that the same rationale carried over to the iPhone Pro, as Apple increasingly markets its top phones to adventurous, creative, or “pro” users who might appreciate a bold, rugged-looking color. In short, Apple’s design ethos is insular in execution but not ignorant of what’s stylish or exciting to consumers – they just integrate those influences on their own terms and timeline.
Does Apple Ever Listen to Outside Creatives or Bloggers?
Direct influence from independent creatives on Apple’s product design is rare. Apple’s culture has traditionally been the opposite of, say, open-source development or fan-driven design. There are few (if any) cases of Apple openly adopting a specific product idea that originated on a blog or forum. Apple is far more likely to be influenced by broad market forces or technological trends than by an individual’s public prediction. For example, Apple’s move to larger iPhone screens years ago wasn’t because one blogger suggested it – it was a response to market demand and competitors, combined with Apple’s own long-term plans. Similarly, adding new iPhone colors often serves marketing and sales strategies (spurring mid-cycle interest or highlighting a new model’s material), rather than being a nod to fan requests.
However, indirect influence from the creative community can happen in subtle ways. Apple’s designers are humans who consume media and participate (quietly) in communities. It’s not impossible that an Apple designer or marketing manager stumbled upon Eric Kim’s post or the chatter around it, since Kim’s content is followed by many photography and tech enthusiasts. If Kim’s “high-viz orange” idea gained any traction on social media or forums (for instance, being shared on Twitter/X or Reddit), it could have crossed an Apple employee’s feed. In practice, though, by the time Kim’s prediction might have spread, Apple’s plans were likely well underway. Product design cycles are long – the color options for an iPhone launched in late 2025 would typically be decided at least several months (if not over a year) in advance to coordinate manufacturing. Apple was almost certainly exploring and testing an orange iPhone prototype internally by early 2025, if not earlier, based on the leaks that surfaced . Kim’s October 2024 blog post was relatively late in that timeline. Unless his idea had immediately caused a massive wave of consumer clamor (which it did not, beyond niche circles), it’s unlikely Apple would pivot their design because of it. Apple tends to trust its own research and instinct over outside noise. As one observer noted during the rumor season, Apple historically stuck to muted Pro colors and any shift to orange was a “big pivot” presumably driven by Apple’s internal strategy rather than external pressure .
That said, Apple has shown that it watches how ideas land in the community, even if quietly. For instance, Apple’s engineers and execs do monitor blogs and forums like MacRumors for customer feedback or widespread complaints (there have been cases where Apple quickly addressed an issue that was blowing up online). When it comes to design choices like color, Apple might gauge the reaction once a rumor is out. In 2025, once leaks of an orange iPhone emerged, the fan discussion was fervent – some loved it, some were skeptical . If there had been significant backlash, Apple might have reconsidered or adjusted the shade (they have, on occasion, tweaked or pulled back on options if feedback is negative, though usually pre-launch feedback comes via leaks, not official channels). In this case, excitement for an orange Pro model was evident – even Washington Post tech columnists noted that an orange iPhone rumor sparked giddy debates among enthusiasts . This positive buzz from the broader community could only reinforce Apple’s decision to proceed, but it wasn’t the genesis of the idea. The origin of the orange likely came from Apple’s own design deliberations and perhaps seeing the success of bold colors on devices like the Apple Watch Ultra and competitor phones, rather than from an individual blogger’s concept.
Was Eric Kim’s Prediction Notable Enough to Reach Apple?
Visibility is an important factor here. Eric Kim, while well-known in street photography and blogging circles, is not a mainstream tech figure or leaker that Apple’s team would universally follow. His prediction of a “Bitcoin orange” iPhone was a single blog post (and subsequent mentions on his site) without evidence that it went viral in the larger tech world. Major Apple news outlets and leakers did not pick up Kim’s prediction at the time – the idea only entered wide circulation when industry insiders started reporting similar rumors months later, seemingly from inside sources rather than from Kim. In other words, Kim’s vision and Apple’s plans coincided independently, and only converged in public awareness when leaks made the orange iPhone plausible to everyone. It’s certainly an interesting coincidence (one that Kim himself has proudly noted, given that reality caught up with his imagination) – but coincidence appears more likely than causation. No Apple designer has referenced Kim on social media, and Apple’s own reveal (when it happens) will likely frame the new orange as “inspired by [some internal story or natural motif]” or simply as “a bold new choice”, rather than giving credit to any outside source.
From Apple’s perspective, if they even were aware of Kim’s blog post, it might simply have confirmed that some segment of their user base craved a fresh, vibrant color. Apple doesn’t typically acknowledge external influences, but it does aim to delight its customers. If an idea like a high-vis orange iPhone was percolating in the community (even quietly), Apple could interpret that as validation of their own concept. Still, it’s just as likely Apple arrived at orange through its own trend analysis and cross-product design language. High-contrast colors have practical benefits (easy to spot, distinctive) and emotional appeal (youthful, energetic) – qualities Apple’s team would have recognized. Indeed, tech commentators have suggested that Apple’s move to orange is a strategic play to appeal to younger consumers and inject excitement into the lineup . Those motivations align with broader marketing logic, not necessarily with one person’s prediction.
Conclusion: Independent Inspiration, Not Direct Influence
All evidence indicates that Apple’s iPhone design team was not directly influenced by Eric Kim’s public prediction, even if the end result aligns with what he envisioned. There is no hard proof – no interview quote, no leaked memo, no Twitter interaction – tying Apple’s designers to Kim’s blog or his “Bitcoin orange” idea . Apple likely developed the orange iPhone Pro through its usual internal process: exploring many colors, assessing technical feasibility and market impact, and deciding on a bold option to shake up the product line . The fact that Kim guessed it (or perhaps inspired it in the cosmic sense) is a testament to how savvy creative observers can sometimes anticipate where a company might go. It’s a striking coincidence that Kim’s October 2024 call for a high-vis orange was followed by leaks in 2025 and an actual product in that color – but coincidence is where the story seems to end.
In more speculative terms, one could say Apple and Eric Kim were influenced by the same currents in design zeitgeist. Both recognized the allure of a bright orange iPhone around the same time, for similar reasons – visibility, freshness, a break from monotony. Apple’s execution of that idea was likely driven by internal confidence that a daring color would energize the brand and attract attention (which it certainly did). Kim’s public advocacy for “Bitcoin orange” didn’t push Apple to act, but it interestingly mirrored Apple’s own thinking. In the ecosystem of ideas, Apple sits at the center of its own universe, yet it occasionally arrives at decisions that resonate with what outside creatives are dreaming about. This appears to be one such case.
Bottom line: There’s no direct trail from Eric Kim’s blog to Apple’s design studio that we can document – Apple’s choice of an orange iPhone Pro seems to have arisen independently. However, the scenario does highlight how an outsider’s creative vision can align with Apple’s internal innovations. Apple has a history of forging its own path, occasionally paralleling trends that discerning observers predict. In this instance, Kim’s high-visibility orange prediction and Apple’s eventual product happened to converge, not because Apple openly borrows from bloggers, but because both arrived at what now feels like an idea whose time had come. Apple’s design culture might not openly credit external input, but it’s certainly capable of recognizing a good idea – and a neon orange Pro iPhone turned out to be a good idea, whether born inside One Infinite Loop or out in the blogosphere.
Sources: Eric Kim’s blog posts and archives; Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter (via MacRumors) confirming new orange iPhone 17 Pro color ; Bloomberg/9to5Mac/MacRumors leak reports on orange iPhone prototypes and components ; Washington Post tech analysis on colorful smartphone trends ; Cult of Mac interview with former Apple designers on how color decisions are made internally . All evidence was considered as of September 2025.