While it may seem boring to some, black is one of my favorite colors for a phone, and the numbers show I’m hardly alone. Black and white consistently sell the best, which is why each phone comes in at least those two colors. This may not seem “fun,” but there’s a good chance my next phone will be black, too. Let me tell you why.
I Don’t Want to Draw Attention to My Phone
There isn’t anywhere I go, or any time of day, when I want people to see the device in my hand and go, “Look at that!” Especially considering how expensive phones have gotten, I don’t want anyone looking at my phone with envy. Please don’t steal it. I need it.
There are other forms of unwanted attention that black avoids. It isn’t going to look out of place if you’re all dressed up in a concert hall or about to speak at a funeral. It’s not likely to embarrass or offend. It doesn’t communicate much of anything about you other than you have a phone and, perhaps, that you’re practical about it.
I do all of my professional work from a foldable, so my phone is different enough as it is. If the color can help it fly a bit under the radar, awesome.
Black Is Professional
Let’s talk about work a bit longer. I like the bright yellow look of the Playdate handheld gaming console, but I wouldn’t want to pull that color out at a business meeting (okay, in my line of work, pulling out a literal Playdate during a Zoom call probably wouldn’t be that bad of a move). In professional settings, I especially want a phone that’s as neutral and non-attention-grabbing as possible.
There isn’t a workplace where your manager might pull you aside to suggest your black phone might give a client the wrong impression. If you’re going in for a job interview, applying for a loan, working as a real estate agent trying to sell a house, or establishing your own side hustle, a black phone is not going to result in side eyes questioning how seriously you take the situation. A bright purple or lime green phone just might.
A Color That Suits Any Outfit
To a certain extent, phones are fashion accessories. They complement whatever outfit we’re wearing, regardless of whether it’s business casual.
My preference for a black phone doesn’t mean I don’t like colors. Rather, it’s born from how much attention I do give to colors. When I put on clothes in the morning, if each piece doesn’t match well, it’s going to irk me. I feel the same way about my phone.
I might like the look of a turquoise phone, but it’s going to clash with some of the outfits I wear. Matching shirts, pants, and shoes already take enough thought. I don’t want to add matching my phone to the equation.
Black Pairs Well With Cases
Okay, what you see in the photo above is a sleeve, not a case. It’s also black so that it would go with any phone. Let’s set that aside and ignore me for a moment. For many of you, the color of your phone doesn’t matter that much because you’re just going to put a case on it. You will rarely see the actual color of the phone.
For cases where you can see bits of your phone, like around the volume buttons or the USB-C port, having a black phone won’t clash with the bright, vibrant case you may opt to put it in.
If smartphone makers should do anything, it’s arguably to release every phone in black or white and then supply as many vibrant cases as they can. That way, if you want your phone to be “fun,” you have top-notch options for doing so, and people like me who both prefer not to use a case and prefer a black phone are also happy (though my heart does go out to people who like naked phones but still want theirs to pop).
Liking Black Means I Can Buy Any Phone
If you only buy blue phones, you substantially limit your options. If you want a book-style foldable, for example, there aren’t that many models in the US to begin with. Insisting on a color limits your options further.
The OnePlus Open only comes in Black, Dusk, and Crimson Shadow. The Google Pixel Pro Fold is limited to Black and Porcelain. So I hope you’re fine with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which comes in Navy.
In contrast, if you are fine with black, then you can buy any phone you want. Whether it’s the iPhone, Pixel 9 Pro, the Motorola Edge+, or even a minimalist phone like the Light Phone 3, you can bank on black being available.
You Know What You’re Going to Get
Even if a phone comes in a color you want, chances are that color will vary from phone to phone. Returning back to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, navy isn’t the shade of blue I personally like. I prefer something brighter.
Yet, say I like dark blue. Do I search the web for navy? Well, that might lead to a phone I want, but Motorola calls its navy Razr+ “Midnight Blue.” And if you hold the Razr+ next to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the colors may be similar, but I’d be surprised if they were the same.
If you absolutely fall in love with the color of your current phone, you may have a hard time finding something similar a few years from now. That’s not a problem that anyone who likes black phones has to deal with.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy a non-black phone. Live your best life and find what brings you joy. I personally enjoy a full range of other options as well, like white, silver, and gray. Yes, I’m aware that these are tones that reviewers also bemoan as dull. I am happily catered to by the phones that come out year after year, so I’m not personally complaining. I also happen to really like “boring” modern phone designs, too, believe it or not.
My preferences aside, phones are objects that fit in the hands of all kinds of people, in every corner of the world, at all times of day, in any kind of circumstance. To make something suitable across all of those different variables is no small task. Black is a color that pulls it off. It’s the color most of us choose to buy.
