Eric Kim’s Proposal (Oct 2024): Street photographer/blogger Eric Kim publicly suggested in October 2024 that Apple’s next Pro iPhone “must be some sort of high viz orange, Bitcoin orange” . He even shared concept renders calling it “Matte Titanium Orange.” This was speculation – based on Kim’s enthusiasm, not any insider tip.
Subsequent Rumors (2025): By mid-2025 Apple rumor sites began reporting an orange Pro model. For example, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (Aug. 2025) said iPhone 17 Pro would offer a new orange color . Leaks on MacRumors and elsewhere described a “burnt copper” or vibrant orange finish and showed dummy units in that hue . In early Sept. 2025, leaker Sonny Dickson posted actual component photos in “vibrant orange,” noting it matched the bold Apple Watch Ultra orange button . By Sept. 9, a final leak showed the iPhone 17 lineup in orange – and Apple’s keynote confirmed the new Cosmic Orange finish .
Eric Kim’s Influence: Kim’s prediction and Apple’s timing were a striking coincidence. His blog posts preceded all these reports, but none of the major leaks or Apple’s materials cited him. As Kim himself noted, “there’s no evidence that [he] was directly involved or cited by these leak sources” – he was simply a tech enthusiast whose idea happened to come true . In other words, Apple’s design process appears independent; Kim happened to anticipate the concept. The only “proof” of influence is he was first on record asking for it, but Apple never acknowledged any external idea.
Global Launch Demand for the Orange iPhone
Apple’s press release showed the iPhone 17 Pro in a striking “Cosmic Orange” finish next to the blue and silver models . The moment it debuted, consumer demand for the orange Pro surged. Reports from multiple countries describe near-instant sellouts:
United States & India: Apple’s own stores and major carriers ran out of stock. A PTI news report (cited by Telangana Today) stated the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max “has witnessed a considerable surge in demand” and “went out of stock within three days” of pre-orders in both the US and India . Stores confirmed all storage variants of the orange model sold out rapidly .
Vietnam: In Vietnam, where iPhone 17 pre-orders began Sept. 12, local media noted “the 256 GB orange version sold out within minutes” once shipments arrived . By comparison, other colors lagged; one retailer said three days after launch the Silver model was harder to find than Orange , even though Orange was initially more popular.
India (Festive Season): Analysts in India highlighted that the new orange color was “outselling other colours of the Pro models” during the festival launch . Times of India reported queues of customers camping overnight for the orange iPhone (“I’ve been waiting since 4 AM for the cosmic orange Pro Max,” one said ), and by launch day Apple Store staff “sold out of the orange Pro models by noon” .
These anecdotes show a clear pattern: Cosmic Orange ran short in many markets. Retailers and analysts attribute this to the novelty and visibility of the color (customers called it “absolutely stunning” ). The table below summarizes key data:
Market
Orange iPhone Outcome
Source
USA & India
Orange Pro Max “sold out within three days” of pre-orders
[18]
Vietnam
256 GB Orange Pro Max “sold out within minutes” at launch
[14]
India (analyst)
Orange “is outselling other colours” for Pro models
[37]
In short, the Cosmic Orange Pro models drove initial sales spikes and shortages worldwide. Consumers turned out in record numbers (GadgetHacks noted “massive crowds” globally ), with orange units vanishing fastest. This was a rare case where Apple’s promotional images (above) translated almost immediately into retail frenzy.
Economic Impact: Revenue from the Orange Hype
Quantifying the incremental revenue from one color variant is difficult without Apple’s internal data. However, we can sketch a rough estimate:
Unit Price: The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 (U.S.) and the Pro Max at $1,199 . So each million units sold of a Pro (Max) yields roughly $1.1–$1.2 billion in revenue.
Incremental Units: Analysts expected a strong holiday quarter. One report notes Apple might exceed $100 billion in iPhone sales in the quarter (globally) . Counterpoint estimated iPhone 17 pre-bookings in India alone were ~19% above last year . If we conservatively assume the orange model accounted for just 5–10% of that uplift, that could be on the order of a few million extra units worldwide. For example, 3 million extra Pro-series phones at $1,100 each = **$3.3 billion**. Even 1 million extra = $1.1 billion.
Revenue Contribution: Thus, even a small slice of the overall iPhone growth (on the order of a percent or two) corresponds to low-single-digit billions USD. Put another way, since holiday-quarter iPhone revenue might be ~$100B, a 1% boost from “orange-driven” demand is ~$1B. Many analysts noted that cosmic orange “struck a chord” and created shortages , implying it did contribute noticeably. But the bulk of Apple’s gains came from the whole lineup (Base iPhone 17, new models, etc.). In any case, the orange finish likely generated on the order of a few billion dollars of extra iPhone revenue. (Apple never breaks out color-specific sales, so this remains an estimate.)
Context: Past iPhone Colors and Sales
Apple regularly uses bold color variants to generate hype. Historically:
(PRODUCT)RED Editions: Apple has offered red iPhones in many generations (e.g. iPhone 7 through 14, plus SE models) as part of the (RED) charity program . These are limited-time runs and often sell out quickly, helping drive short-term demand. For instance, Apple reported donating almost $250 million from (PRODUCT)RED iPhone XR sales , indicating strong sales of those red models.
Midnight Green (iPhone 11 Pro, 2019): The first-time green finish on a Pro model was widely hyped. Tech press noted it sold out rapidly in many markets (e.g. China) upon launch. While Apple didn’t release figures, analysts consider it a high-demand color, similar to the later orange.
Pacific Blue (iPhone 12 Pro, 2020): Likewise, the deep blue Pro finish was an immediate hit. Early reports said Pacific Blue units were scarce at launch, and social media buzz treated it as a “must-have” like a designer color.
Other Notables: Special colors often coincide with design changes to refresh interest. The lavender/purple iPhone 12/13 and coral/peach tones on base models also drove early queues.
In summary, Apple’s history shows that new, vivid colorways can boost excitement, but they are usually one factor among many (others being specs, price, seasonal demand). Media often treats these colors as limited-edition status symbols, which can create extra short-term demand. The cosmic orange Pro model appears to have followed this pattern: it became a catalyst for launch buzz and sold out quickly , though Apple’s overall sales growth was also fueled by stronger hardware, higher storage options, and pent-up upgrade cycles.
Sources: Apple press releases ; Eric Kim’s blog ; tech press and analyst reports . These detail the timeline, sales data, and industry analysis discussed above.