The black iPhone Pro returns

The Verge Products

Summary

Apple reintroduces the black color option for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, addressing the absence from the previous model and highlighting consumer preference for the classic color.

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="Black is back. | Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0006.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> Black is back. | Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Apple has seen reason: It has a black model in the iPhone Pro lineup again. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Last year, Apple went bold with its colors for the iPhone 17 Pro, offering a flashy orange, a shiny silver, and a dark blue. Don't get me wrong, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/apple/775186/apple-iphone-17-pro-cosmic-orange-color-good">they looked nice</a>. But there was no black (or dark gray) for the first time since the start of the iPhone Pro lineup, which Apple first introduced in September 2019 with the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">I care about this because I always buy the black phone. I learned my lesson with the iPhone 6: I got it in gold to mix things up and came to regret it. I don't need something flashy - I need a phone that blends into the backg …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/993048/iphone-18-pro-black-color">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
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# The black iPhone Pro returns Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/993048/iphone-18-pro-black-color](https://www.theverge.com/tech/993048/iphone-18-pro-black-color) [![Jay Peters](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/JAY_BLURPLE.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=96)](https://www.theverge.com/authors/jay-peters) Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more\. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme\. Apple has seen reason: It has a black model in the iPhone Pro lineup again\. Last year, Apple went bold with its colors for the iPhone 17 Pro, offering a flashy orange, a shiny silver, and a dark blue\. Don’t get me wrong,[they looked nice](https://www.theverge.com/apple/775186/apple-iphone-17-pro-cosmic-orange-color-good)\. But there was no black \(or dark gray\) for the first time since the start of the iPhone Pro lineup, which Apple first introduced in September 2019 with the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max\. I care about this because I always buy the black phone\. I learned my lesson with the iPhone 6: I got it in gold to mix things up and came to regret it\. I don’t need something flashy — I need a phone that blends into the background and looks decent in whatever case I throw it into\. After the iPhone 6, my next phone was the iPhone 7 in the excellent matte black \(I wasn’t brave enough to endure the[jet black model’s potential scratches](https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/9/20/12985890/iphone-7-jet-black-scratches)\), and I’ve only ever gotten the black or gray phones since\. My black titanium iPhone 16 Pro in a black Torras case \([with a mostly black homescreen](https://www.theverge.com/tech/983375/fairphone-6-plus-framework-12-laptop-mutiny-mortal-shell-2)\) still works very well, thank you very much, and I’m not in the market for a new phone\. But when I make my annual mid\-September visit to the local Apple Store to look at all the new iPhones, I won’t be rushing to see the iPhone 18 Pro in burgundy, blue, or silver\. I’ll be beelining for the model in black\. Just look at this thing\! It’s great\! [![The iPhone 18 Pro in black and in silver.](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0001.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400)](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0001.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge [![The iPhone 18 Pro in black from the side.](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0007.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400)](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0007.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge [![The iPhone 18 Pro in black from the side.](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0009.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400)](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0009.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge [![The top of the iPhone 18 Pro in black.](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0008.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400)](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268735_iPhone_18_Pro_NPatel_0008.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) Photo: Nilay Patel / The Verge Now Apple, how about a black[iPhone Duo](https://www.theverge.com/tech/991236/iphone-foldable-hands-on-first-impressions)? **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Jay Peters

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