Apple has a new secret sauce to give its sales cadence for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max a little extra 'oomph factor,' especially in critical markets such as China. And that secret sauce relates to leveraging color options that are generally considered auspicious in several Asian markets.
Mark Gurman: Apple eyeing the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in a "deep red" color option
We recently noted that a quirky reason why Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max was doing so well in China lately had a lot to do with its 'Cosmic Orange' color, which is the signature color of the French luxury brand Hermès, prompting many Chinese consumers to covet the iPhone as a luxury product.
In fact, this color option was identified as the single most important impetus for driving higher sales in China, to the tune of 38 percent in the December-ending quarter, with Tim Cook taking pains to note at the company's most recent earnings call that the Apple store traffic in China grew by double-digit percent in the December-ending quarter.
What's more, as per a recent tabulation by Counterpoint Research, Apple recorded year-over-year sales growth of 8 percent in China for January 2026, even as all other major Chinese smartphone OEMs recorded double-digit-percent declines, largely due to the high base effect.
Now, Bloomberg's prolific tipster, Mark Gurman, is out with another scoop, suggesting that Apple is eyeing the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in a "deep red" color option. Do note that this color is considered fairly auspicious in markets such as China and India, evoking good fortune, joy, prosperity, and vitality in the former, and happiness, marital bliss, and sensuality in the latter.
Bear in mind that the iPhone 18 Pro duo is also expected to sport purple and brown color options. However, Gurman now thinks that the previous tidbits related to those options might simply have been "variants of the same red idea - given that the tones are fairly similar."
Interestingly, according to the tipster, Apple appears to be adopting the polar opposite strategy for the upcoming iPhone Fold, which is expected to sport fairly "utilitarian hues," including variations of dark gray or black, and hues that range between white and light silver.
Head over to our dedicated Apple iPhone 18 hub page for a detailed roundup of the news and tidbits on the upcoming iPhone variants.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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