I’ve had many years to reflect on it. Since preschool, we’re asked, “What’s your favorite color?” I changed my answer a lot. Red. No, purple. Green? Or how about gold? Yellow, no, it’s purple again! But over time, I realized I generally bought clothing, accessories, furniture, appliances, and everything else in one of two colors: red or black. I guess I finally have an answer: black, but if not black, red.
So maybe I’m a little biased here, but Apple needs more red devices. Not just “red” either, (PRODUCT)RED. This isn’t just a matter of taste, it’s about making a difference.
(PRODUCT)RED products are, well, red, but across brands, products with the (RED) branding support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. Right now, those proceeds are also going towards the fight against COVID-19. The need for these funds is as dire as ever. So why does Apple only use the RED coloring for their consumer-level items? Why do some of their latest items lack RED accessories as well?
It comes down to how Apple treats color and their definition of value. Unfortunately, their misguided views mean less support for a worthy cause.
In This Article:
Muted For Pros
Apple seems to relate to the idea that colorful equals feminine and feminine does not equal “pro.” It’s a subtle sort of sexism. We already discussed it a great deal, so it’s not worth going into detail again. To put it basically, Apple depicts colorful, traditionally feminine products as being worth less than their muted, masculine brethren in the pro models.
To Apple’s defense, this consumer-level/pro-level design dichotomy had a logical beginning. Their consumer computer models like the iMac and iBook were made of colorful, transparent plastic (I love you, 90’s/early 2000’s design). Pro models were made of brushed aluminum, to reflect their higher quality. However, now the comparison lies mostly in tradition and faint sexism, as colors are allowed on pro models, but only if they’re muted, and all devices are made from premium materials like aluminum and glass.
This is the main reason we don’t have (RED) iPhone or iPad Pro models, Apple doesn’t see bright colors as “professional.” They won’t make an exception for the (PRODUCT)RED lineup, because that would mean blurring the line they’ve created between their pro and consumer lineups. They should. The cause is great and, frankly, the reasoning behind not offering colorful pro-level products is just silly. Color can absolutely be professional, and vibrant design is not necessarily attention grabbing for the sake of attention. Vibrant color isn’t gaudy, and masculine design is not the only way to be “professional.”
Color as a Differentiator or a Crutch
Pro models should differentiate themselves. Color and a camera shouldn’t be the lone differentiators between a consumer model and a pro model. A device that relies on muted colors to convey a separation between itself and other products in its lineup can’t possibly back up its claims to professional-level power. The fact that the iPhone 11 Pro is hardly a better device than the iPhone 11 shows how Apple leans on their color based dichotomy as a crutch. If the Pro models could differentiate themselves, through both features and hardware design, there wouldn’t be a need for separate colors to communicate Apple’s intended impression of their devices.
Identical Macs
Don’t even get me started on the MacBook lineup. Obviously there’s no color there anymore, Apple abandoned colorful Macs over a decade ago. Even the difference between the “Space Gray” MacBook Pro and the “Silver” MacBook Pro is negligible. But now that the Apple logo isn’t illuminated, how good would it look in red?
(PRODUCT)RED already made concessions for Apple. Before Apple agreed to make products for them, brands usually had to put their product in the parenthesis. (iPod)RED would have been the branding. But Apple insisted that their products wouldn’t go inside parenthesis, and they got their way. Now it’s called “(PRODUCT)RED” when Apple devices are involved. (RED) would likely allow Apple to simply do a red logo. It would stand out considerably on the MacBook, especially against the “space gray” finish. A red logo would be striking, and I’m certain many people would be excited about it. Of course, Apple could also anodize the entire thing, an all-red MacBook Pro, but I do understand that could be a struggle to maintain, and would come at a significantly higher cost. A logo, however, allows people to support a good cause, and seems like a fair compromise.
Accessories
Muted color options for the iPad Pro are largely unappealing.
The one place Apple usually allows some color in their pro lineups is with their accessories. Apple makes cases for pro models in a variety of colors, even allowing some of them to be vibrant. However, this isn’t true of all of their products. The new iPad Pro, for example, doesn’t have a (PRODUCT)RED accessory. Not even a Smart Folio. Nothing. Not one case is colorful. This could be so people think of the iPad Pro as being more like a MacBook Pro than the other iPads, but it comes off as a needless differentiator, preventing people from making their own choices about something as simple as a case. It forces anyone who wants a splash of color to go with off-brand cases that likely won’t look or work as well as Apple’s. Lower quality cases are more likely to hurt Apple’s brand than a splash of color, one that people are going to get for their products anyway.
Accessories like cases for your portable devices are a must. Therefore, it’s a little silly that Apple would allow an iPhone 11 Pro case to be red, but not an iPad case, or not the iPhone itself. People are going to have red iPhones, Apple, just let them contribute to charity or do so without a bulky case!
It’s for Charity
Apple makes plenty of black products. Well, “Space Gray.” Which, frankly, isn’t close enough to black to be as cool. Still, I feel drawn to Apple’s red products not just because of a the color, but the cause. The products sold with the (PRODUCT)RED branding aren’t just a lovely shade of red, they also contribute to charity.
Currently, (RED) products support the Global Fund to fight COVID-19. This is to help people fight the disease and get the necessary supplies in areas where people are exceptionally vulnerable and can’t get access to treatment. Normally, however, (RED) supports the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. This charity works in sub-Saharan Africa, where AIDS rages as an epidemic. Thanks to charities like (RED), the fight against AIDS is progressing. It’s slow, but we’re making progress. Every generation has fewer deaths related to AIDS. We’ve come a long way in the United States, through PREP, antivirals, and early diagnosis and treatment, AIDS and HIV are not the death sentence they once were. But these medical advances and education aren’t available everywhere yet. That’s what the Global Fund to Fight AIDS is about.
So, yes, red looks cool. But it’s more than that. This is for a worthy charity. While Apple has contributed millions to it, and is one of the largest supporters of the (RED) charity, they could do better by extending their (PRODUCT)RED lineup to include pro models and accessories for all of their products. Let everyone who wants to help or just likes the color red (or both, like me) have that option.
I hope they will. This is a worthy cause, and I’m always happy to support it.