Apple yesterday unveiled a new A6-powered, hard-coated polycarbonate iPhone 5c that comes in five colors: green, blue, yellow, pink, and white. Apple also unveiled the new iPhone 5s, an Apple A7-powered aluminum smartphone – the world’s first 64-bit smartphone! – that features a Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor and comes in five colors: Silver, Gold, or Space Gray.
Wait, what?! “Space Gray?” Gack!
No way in hell that would have ever made it past Steven P. Jobs. No way.
“Space Gray?” What is this, 1969?
Obviously, that iPhone 5s color choice should be called “Graphite.” I firmly believe it would have, had Steve still been here to edit out stupid suggestions before they escaped One Infinite Loop.
But, Tim let it go out as “Space Gray.” Yeesh.
This could be a tiny crack in the armor; a sign of not-so-good things to come. Following those atrocious, quickly-knifed Mac ads last year, it shows how Apple is still in desperate need of a final editor; a taste arbiter. I want to know, did Jony Ive really sign off on “Space Gray?” Or is this something Phil Schiller concocted all by himself?
Well, if this is the worst thing Cook does, it’ll be a very good thing, but in this case I just wish he’d ignored Jobs’ advice and asked himself this one time at least, “What would Steve do?” before he signed off on “Space Gray.” Because Steve would have torn whoever came to him with “Space Gray” an entirely new orifice.
When people ask me what’s the color my new iPhone 5s called, I’m going to tell them “Graphite.”
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, former web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Space Gray…just a name. What matters is performance and sales numbers.
Of course performance and sales number are much more important than the name of the colour. But calling it “Space Gray” makes me wonder where the hell Apple are at in their thinking.
SteveJack just submitted his second idiotic post in 2 days. FI, Space Gray is also a color on newer BMWs. “Graphite” is out of fashion, and sounds more like a pencil than a high tech machine.
Oh, thanks for that. Didn’t know anyone else in the whole world used the expression “Space Gray”. Shows how little I know about prevailing customs…
Calling them “customs” is too generous… actually, they’re fads.
Correct. Graphite was also was the color of the iMacs…in 2001.
Steve jack is an out of touch opinion piece writer. Apple designers know what’s up. And yes, gold is the new silver. Ask Hollywood.
So space grey is the new black then, I must be getting old. Next colours will be Sky green, Forest purple, Sea red and Essex orange though the last one is accurate if you are in on it.
This is not true the space gray is cool and the name is nice.
Ps I have the space gray vision and is also better at not getting scratch
The people at Apple are thinking they’re about to move into a giant space ship that will double as their world head quarters, so no better time to embrace the future.
Either way, John Ive does not have the power to name such things because he is not Senior vice president of marketing; it is Schiller’s power.
From the CEO who brought you Blue Dalmatian… Yeah, Steve would never have allowed these names.
C’mon, Steve was brilliant, but he wasn’t perfect. Quit deifying him.
I keep calling it Steel to my friends. I think it’s sexy and fits better with Silver and Gold
Infinite (Loop) Grey.
Yeah, just a name. And just a name used to be a big deal at Apple.
No accounting for taste
I think it still is. Apple is not error-free in this regard, however. The eMac still resonates as an utter failure, both as a product and as a name. When Jony Ive says that “everything” is considered I assume he’s making an inside joke/point about the eMac, and of course at all the competition. I remember the hue and cry when the iPod mini was replaced with the iPod nano. At the end of the day it didn’t really matter, though: Boatloads were sold. I think that’ll be true here as well.
It’s stretching it to describe the eMac as an “utter failure”. As I recall, the “e” stood for “Education”, and it was initially aimed at that market. However, it proved popular enough for a wider release.
I used one at work for several years and, bought two others for family members. It was a good enough machine for its time. Its major weakness was the power supply — when that blew, it often took the main board with it.
Indeed, naming things was (is ?) as important as was everything else to Jobs. He and his team would spend weeks hashing out the perfect name for a new device. They would lavish as much time and energy as necessary to make the whole product from the box to the device itself was perfect.
I think that sort of focus has diminished since jobs passed. With this launch things like the back of the cases are placed in nice neat rows but this onscures the iPhone label etched on the back.
Most people would never notice it but Jobs would’ve never have passed it. It’s this sort of thing happening more often that worries me. Jobs and Jonny Ive we’re not perfect but they had a synergy that was astonishing.
DYAC !! “obscures” not “onscures”
I normally enjoy SteveJack’s posts, but I have to disagree on this one.
Nothing wrong with ‘space gray’ in my opinion, it sounds kind of cool. didn’t know about BMW’s using that term either
The name of this color is the last thing I thought of when hearing about the phone. To write an entire column about it is truly bizarre- nobody cares about the name. The colors- more than people think. I think SteveJack has a problem with Tim Cook and is bitterly becoming more and more out of touch.
People care about colour, Apple’s always known this. A whole column devoted to the name of a single colour proves how much people care. The blowup about “sissy” colours after iOS 7’s unveiling provides an alternative proof of the same theorem.
I agree…….Space Gray is absolutely terrible–thought it was a joke since there was a few jokes slipped into the presentation, Graphite would have been more appropriate, but the guts of the phone are the most important–the perfection presentation days are likely over.
“Space Gray…just a name”
Exactly!
Also, using “Graphite” might be considered to be false advertising, since it is not made out of graphite.
For that reason I’m also not keen on “Gold” and “Silver” (yes, I know that no one really expects it to be made out of those precious metals, but it still seems artificial to use those names).
Maybe more creative names, like the talked about “Champaign” name, should have been used.
If that is the best criticism of the device he can muster, then Apple has a brilliant future for its new baby.
Another 5 star vote from me.
Had to comment, though, on Dijonaise for a name, and use of the word “muster” (near “mustard”) in the post. Words do matter, don’t they? Brilliant future, indeed. 🙂
Looks more like, subdued Silver than space gray to me.
I’ve heard that there are 50 shades of gray.
good one.
51 if you count Spalding.
“$50 bucks says the Smails kid picks his nose.”
Was going to suggest a leather case, but Jon123 already has one.
I agree. The color Space Gray means that this phone will not function nearly as well as the silver or gold phones. A space gray phone will perform worse than other colors.
I like that strategy! I like that strategy a lot!
Stop parroting that “I like it a lot” nonsense- it’s played out, stale, no longer relevant. Think different!
Wow. Someone is a whinny writer today. Such a trivial complaint. Why post this sort of thing?
The INTENSITY is what gets me – like this is some kind of catastrophe, up there with terrorism, droughts in Africa and suchlike.
I think our lives are still worth living, in spite of the use of “Space Gray”.
Lol
Grumpy old men post these things.
Because MDN loves HIS Steve…
I’m going to call my champaign.
What an idiot if this is all he can muster for a critique.
Yes and he “Spaced Out”!
Yes, Apple is going to be brought down by the word “space”. How soul destroying to write this sort of tosh for a living.
“What is this, 1969?”
Two words: “Flower Power.”
Two more: “Blue Dalmatian.”
Exactly.
Excellent counterpoint, macnutt! One of the enduring (and unfortunate) qualities of this forum is its staggering lack of historical perspective. It never ceases to amaze me how little real knowledge posters have of the history of Apple and the tech industry (sorta like youngsters who think LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time, but they never watched Jordan or Magic or Bird or Kareem or Chamberlain or Russell play). So yeah, SteveJack, the sainted Jobs approved “Blue Dalmatian” – that is ok, but Space Gray (also used by no less than BMW) is not?
I have a suggestion for you, SteveJack – get a life. In the meantime, you should follow Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice (better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt).
A rose by any other name
An improvement over the slate model. It caters appropriately to the tech crowd.
Right, Steve would never approve silly colors like flower power.
At least they didn’t call the gold one Champagne. Or shompagnyah as The Continental would say.
This is what happened, MDN.
They were going to call it something else, but they rushed it to marketing team with incomplete details.
One was called “silver” and one was called “gold” and the other one as yet unnamed looked like this “________ (gray).”
And some dumbass said, “Space Gray? Whatever.”
“You can call it Silver, you can call it Ray. You can call it anything- why not call it ‘Space Grey?'”….
Space Gray the future Space X & NASA phones of choice. Lol Maybe I’ll call mine “LunarGray”. 😉 I’d guess “Slate” & “Graphite” might infringe into some other companies trademarks or copyrights.
While I don’t like LunarGray, you have a point. Despite what it looks like in the night sky, the moon is acutely a dark charcoal black.
Oh, how quickly they forget. I give to you, SteveJack, just two words: “Blue Dalmatian.”
Jobs had his WTF moments, too.
Ordinary consumers don’t know or care what the name of the color of their phone is.
Damn, i liked the black on the iPhone 5.
My BMW is space gray. Maybe the luxury carmaker is on its last breath too? Give me a break.
So are the new Mercedes Smart cars and custom colors…
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/7series/sedan/2012/showroom/exterior-design/visualizer.html
In the meantime, sales of Space Gray BMW’s will probably double while sales of the Graphite Mazd MX-5 will remain flat. 😉
SPACE GREY IS COOL – stop over thinking this stuff guys…
I don’t think Space Gray is the greatest name – space is more black than anything – but it still sounds cooler than graphite. Graphite just reminds me of those lame pencils we needed to take standardized tests in school, before Apple made such old fashion writing implements obsolete.
Think Turbulence would be better?
Web Link: http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/984563/top-colors-dominating-fashion-for-fall-winter-2013
To me, “Graphite” is dirty- I’d choose “gray” if it was left up to me- “space gray” is OK. Did I just rewrite the above article?
How come ipod is so beautiful and slim and joy to hold in your hand and iPhone a piece of annoying shit, now the plastic iteration with stupid skin costing 10 cents to manufacture and 29 dollars in retail, why companies are always run by dickheads
The shit that comes out of you must be absolutely beautiful, because the shit that departs me doesn’t look anything like my iphone.
They could have called it brindle-shit brown but Microsoft has a patent on that colour.
Space is black, not gray.
And ‘space black’ sounds a lot cooler.
Prefer graphite or tungsten, but if the phone looks good and works well, so what.
They had Bondi Blue under Jobs so why not Space Gray? I have no problem with the name or the color.
At some point the question should migrate to, instead of “What would Steve do?,” employees should ask, “What would Apple do?”
There is nothing wrong with Space Gray. The interesting thing is, it’s a different name. The “Other Guys” would have called it Graphite or some other common name. But it’s Apple and they went for Space Gray…
Love it or leave it. But if you want Apple to be Apple, you have to let them do these things, try not to take it personally.
Splendid Grey – Hows them Apples?
Also, it’s good they did this. Anodized black wasn’t working out too well, whereas I have high hopes for Space Grey.
My father would have referred to the colour as CEMENT. My mother would have called it MUSH. My sisters and I would take turns rolling our eyes. How many more pages in this thread?
Steve wouldn’t do this. Steve wouldn’t do that. Steve would never do anything I’d ever disagree with. My God. Steve was an icon, he built and rebuilt Apple. But he rebuilt it with help, behind the scenes. Ive and Cook were part of that. But the Tim Cook bashing is getting old.
I guess he forgot all the joke around the name iPad.
Typical crap by MDN. They will only criticize Apple when it is something nonsensical and trivial just to say they criticize Apple.
Stay tunes for mr jacks next article “Picking the fly shit outta pepper”
geesh, what a douche…
Stupid commentaries like this are very rare indeed!
People are not going to buy android just because they don’t like the color name of the not quite black iPhone 5s And, if by chance they don’t like the color, there are 2 other color choices they can make, and even more when you count the iPhone 5c
Kvetching about the name of the color is a new low
Steve Jack has lost it.. twice in two days… the man needs to get a life.
Where is MDN’s “Think Before You Click!” warning? Definitely needed here, a warning, “Think Before You Read!” as this story fits the bill!
Poor SteveJack already forgot Steve Jobs admonishment to anyone at Apple who would ask WWSD (what would Steve do)! Wake-up SteveJack, Apple is not your Steve Jobs Apple any more! It’s not a bad, good or indifferent thing… It just is!
Grasping at straws just a tad aren’t we SteveJack?
Let’s not forget we had “Flower Power” and “Blue Dalmatian” under Steve’s watch. He wasn’t infallible.
“Gold” is becoming very high-end luxury color these days and BMW’s use of “Space Grey” would indicate the same of that word choice.
Q: What’s a great name for a band?
A: The name of a great band.
If this becomes a popular phone then this will become a popular name.
You’re so right, SteveJack. Apple should have gone with FlowerPower Gray.
I would have liked a black one. Now I’ll have to go for space silver. :/
“This could be a tiny crack in the armor; a sign of not-so-good things to come.”
OR, it could be nothing to nit-pic about because it doesn’t matter at all. What’s important are the aesthetics. I’ll have a black leather cover and nobody will know mine is alien gray – or whatever.
A leather cover to go with your shades of gray iPhone. Kinky is as kinky does.
Space Gray. Is that really any worse than Bondi Blue?
Don’t panic! Although I prefer a Hello Kitty Version, the Space color is looking good to me.
At least it wasn’t Space Jam Gray.
“No way in hell that would have ever made it past Steven P. Jobs. No way.”
You don’t know that, stop saying things like that, and it’s just a fucking colour.
I almost always agree with what SteveJack says but this hand-wringing over a colour is a waste of pixels and electricity and is pointless.
“Not at Steve Jobs’ Apple”. It is no longer Steve Jobs’ Apple. He has left the building. What was once true when he was alive no longer applies today. Who cares what colour the phone come is. Who cares what the size is? He did not like the size and the ratio of the dimensions that current, at that time, other tablets came in. They were awkward when used in the portrait mode. Does the product that Apple makes today work in the market place of today. That is the $64,000 question. If you are an Apple Hater it makes no difference what Apple does or does not do because you will hate any and all products from Apple.
Yeah, because Steve Jobs NEVER made mistakes like this.
Except of course the hockey puck mouse, Dalmatian Blue and Paisley iMac, Lisa, leaky liquid cooled PowerMac, etc. Shall I go on?
Slow your roll, SteveJack. Steve’s been gone for a few years now, so you can safely remove your lips from his butt.
SteveJack you’re being a little paranoid delusional if you think you really “know” what Steve Jobs would or would not have liked. What are you, his reincarnated soul?! Get some perspective, guy.
STEVE JOBS stepped out on stage in 1997 wearing big black patch squares all over his jeans and then quit fashion altogether… He wasn’t exactly Da Vinci in the taste stakes. Let’s not forget he wanted to call iMac “MacMan” at some point too.
Leave Tim Cook alone!! I like him.
What other names has Apple used that people initially hated before getting used to them? Here are a few: .Mac, MacBook, iPad, iCloud…
But weren’t those all under Jobs’s watch? Why, yes. Yes, they were.
Don’t care for graphite. My choice would be Platinum, but then no one will be talking about it. “Space Gray” was the right name. It is just a name of color, but they got people talking about it.
“No way in hell that would have ever made it past Steven P. Jobs.”
This line of argument should never, ever be used by any professional writer ever again. Ever. Even if he’s a bona fide spirit medium. Never. Got it?
It’s like making comparisons to Hitler or the Holocaust. It’s an alert in flashing neon letters twelve feet tall that the writer finds reasoning and argument just too hard and is resorting to over-the-top hyperbole and self-aggrandizement.
Can you say Bondi Blue? I knew you could.
space has no color — any observer with a working eye would best describe the outer reaches of the universe as being “black”. noir. nero. NOT grey.
furthermore, no one cares if BMW calls their grey by the same inaccurate name. any shade of grey paint merely advertises boredom. grey and gold go into and out of fashion every so often, and everyone immediately wonders why. smart models refuse to be photographed wearing grey, and gold is only tasteful in small doses. neither stand the test of time.
Perhaps a Champagne iPhone might have been nice with a black face, but the white doesn’t do it.
Apple should have continued to offer black — or, in true flagship style, really made the case out of graphite. Probably doesn’t matter, though. Most people shove their phones into cases to protect the fragile glass anyway. … which is yet another reason why offering a range of pastel colors simply doesn’t impress me, nor any adult, all that much.
Or… a thought…
We stop arguing like children over the name of the color and be adults and focus on the quality. Who give a ____ about what they are calling it. Sounds like just an opportunity to nit-pick. If the worst you can get on them for is the naming of the shade of grey, I think their’ doing just fine.
I’m sick of “Steve would never…” s$#t. Honestly…. he approved “Black and Slate” and it’s equally ridiculous as “Space Grey”. Also, don’t forget that Steve did approve the ugliest things that has ever came from Apple like the iOS6 notification centre, “brushed linen” backgrounds etc.
Stop freaking glorifying Steve Jobs, he did almost nothing at Apple, both the hardware and software are still designed by the same people, just with no whip over their heads…
I call mine “dirty silver pocket rocket”. Now that is hip, Sir.
“Space Gray” is certainly better than “iPad”. Remember all the talk when that name surfaced? And that was under Jobs… So I don’t see your point. If the phone works as advertised, who cares what the color is called.