Frankenphone combines (Product)Red iPhone 7 Plus with Jet Black iPhone face

AppleInsider

A YouTube video creator took umbrage to the white bezel on the new (Product)Red iPhone 7 Plus, and swapped out parts with a Jet Black model leading to an iPhone 7 Plus with a red back case, and black front bezel.

Video producer Danny Winget calls the procedure "a little bit daunting," given the complete disassemblies required to do the swap -- all for cosmetic reasons. Winget noted that he actually used three cables to perform the modification, as he tore a ribbon display cable in one unit.

The vast majority of the phone is from the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus, given the laminated screen's TouchID sensor. Basically, the only part in the phone in the video from the (Product)Red release is the back case metal.





Announced Tuesday, The new (Product)Red iPhone 7 marks the most recent product from apple Apple's across its decade-long partnership with (Red). The charity supports HIV/AIDS programs that provide counseling, testing, and medicine intended to prevent the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child.

The color, available for the phone for the first time, is now available in capacities of 128 and 256 gigabytes, starting at $749 for the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, and $869 for the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. While the back of the handset is red, the Apple logo on the back remains silver, and the front bezel is white.

• 
• 

cali

Saw one in the wild yesterday surprisingly.

I think the problem is black doesn't pair as well with the silver logo. A red or black logo would have been more unified with a black front. 

soundsinmotion

Black is better with anything. It looks really cheap and tacky with a red back and white front. Might as well just get a black iPhone and a red case. 

Soli

I can't believe I'm seeing so many of these videos. Does the color of the iPhone really matter so much that we'd gut another iPhone just to get a black front and Home Button on a (Product)Red casing even if that means hours of effort, killing the warranty, and removing water resistant seals?

jameskatt2

It looks UGLY.

Red goes with a white face so much better. 

idrey

jameskatt2 said:

It looks UGLY.

Red goes with a white face so much better. 

Disagree I like the red and black combination better. Too each its own. 

supadav03

After seeing a side by side...white bezel looks MUCH better. Not sure why all the pining for the black face. 

rogifan_new

soundsinmotion said:

Black is better with anything. It looks really cheap and tacky with a red back and white front. Might as well just get a black iPhone and a red case. 

Red and white is tacky? To me black and red comes across as very dark/menacing. Also I believe red and white are the colors of the product red organization.

cali

supadav03 said:

After seeing a side by side...white bezel looks MUCH better. Not sure why all the pining for the black face. 

Just an excuse to bit** at Apple. 

wood1208

Apple, Why? Why you missed such obvious Red/Black combination? Few may like Red/White but most like Red/Black. May be Apple can introduce iphone 7S Red with black front in September !!

ktappe

Seems to me the much cheaper way to do this would be to disassemble a black iPhone, paint the back case red, then reassemble. In fact, then you could have any color you chose.  You could use one of those automotive paints they use on brake calipers so it would be basically indestructible. 

ireland

I prefer the white front with red back tbh.

Rayz2016

Another vote for the white/red combo.  

Soli

I haven't seen anyone mention having a red front. Is that not an attractive option for anyone?

ev

Aw, if it had come out with the black front, people would be clamoring for the white front. This happens every time Apple comes out with something new. Next we'll see someone arguing for black text on a white background on the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. Tim Cook's gotta be smacking his head and proclaiming, "You just can't please people!"

Rayz2016

ev said:

Aw, if it had come out with the black front, people would be clamoring for the white front. This happens every time Apple comes out with something new. Next we'll see someone arguing for black text on a white background on the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. Tim Cook's gotta be smacking his head and proclaiming, "You just can't please people!"

So very true. Apple gave up trying to please everybody long ago; it was driving them out of business. 

Marvin

idrey said:

jameskatt2 said:

It looks UGLY.

Red goes with a white face so much better. 

Disagree I like the red and black combination better. Too each its own. 

They could offer both options, it's just a back case switch for Apple, which doesn't take any extra time during manufacturing. The other white front models had white bands so it made sense to have a white front as the white touched the screen but this one has red bands. I would have originally thought the white front was a better fit but after seeing this, I think it looks fine in black too. The white fits better with the Product Red branding but they sell Product Red cases that have no white in them so it's not essential to have white and still be sold as Product Red.

wood1208

Thanks Mr. for visually proving the best combination for the Red iPhone. Apple can introduce black and white front for Red iphone to see which combination people like/buy the most. There is no extra cost during manufacturing, assembly. Than in future, no debate necessary.

flaneur

Marvin said:

idrey said:

jameskatt2 said:

It looks UGLY.

Red goes with a white face so much better. 

Disagree I like the red and black combination better. Too each its own. 

They could offer both options, it's just a back case switch for Apple, which doesn't take any extra time during manufacturing. The other white front models had white bands so it made sense to have a white front as the white touched the screen but this one has red bands. I would have originally thought the white front was a better fit but after seeing this, I think it looks fine in black too. The white fits better with the Product Red branding but they sell Product Red cases that have no white in them so it's not essential to have white and still be sold as Product Red.

wood1208 said:

Thanks Mr. for visually proving the best combination for the Red iPhone. Apple can introduce black and white front for Red iphone to see which combination people like/buy the most. There is no extra cost during manufacturing, assembly. Than in future, no debate necessary.

Of course it costs more to produce two different faces with the same backs. Both types of faces would need separate assembly lines, seperate inventory tracking, separate packaging, and another sales and tracking apparatus post manufacture. You guys never think deeply enough about manufacturing (!).

Second, this whole topic of red vs. white with black illustrates why the red/black combination would have been tried and rejected by Apple in the first place. Red combined with black are the signal colors of both fascism and fetishism — too hot and too incendiary for a Product Red version of the phone. This is why people, including even John Gruber, are so blindly lusting over the combination, forgetting that Apple has to tread very carefully with a product like this.

Of course they would go with Red Cross/Red Crescent red and white and not Nazi/satanic red and black. 

sirlance99

flaneur said:

Marvin said:

idrey said:

jameskatt2 said:

It looks UGLY.

Red goes with a white face so much better. 

Disagree I like the red and black combination better. Too each its own. 

They could offer both options, it's just a back case switch for Apple, which doesn't take any extra time during manufacturing. The other white front models had white bands so it made sense to have a white front as the white touched the screen but this one has red bands. I would have originally thought the white front was a better fit but after seeing this, I think it looks fine in black too. The white fits better with the Product Red branding but they sell Product Red cases that have no white in them so it's not essential to have white and still be sold as Product Red.

wood1208 said:

Thanks Mr. for visually proving the best combination for the Red iPhone. Apple can introduce black and white front for Red iphone to see which combination people like/buy the most. There is no extra cost during manufacturing, assembly. Than in future, no debate necessary.

Of course it costs more to produce two different faces with the same backs. Both types of faces would need separate assembly lines, seperate inventory tracking, separate packaging, and another sales and tracking apparatus post manufacture. You guys never think deeply enough about manufacturing (!).

Second, this whole topic of red vs. white with black illustrates why the red/black combination would have been tried and rejected by Apple in the first place. Red combined with black are the signal colors of both fascism and fetishism — too hot and too incendiary for a Product Red version of the phone. This is why people, including even John Gruber, are so blindly lusting over the combination, forgetting that Apple has to tread very carefully with a product like this.

Of course they would go with Red Cross/Red Crescent red and white and not Nazi/satanic red and black. 

I definitely don't look at Red/Black as Naxi/Satanic at all. My car is red and black and I get several compliments on it daily. Many things are red and black and look exceptionally good without all the negative thoughts. 

dewme

Whichever color combination you prefer, this popularity contest does remind us that the only real loser in this debate is the practical necessity of having to wrap an ugly protective case around our iPhones when they all look so amazing in their birthday suit. As much as I love the way metal and glass chassis exude quality it would be kind of nice to be able to keep them naked. Sometimes I'll see someone using the same iPhone model as the one I own, but uncased, and I almost see it as an entirely different but more inspiring product. Protective cases never enhance the aesthetics of an iPhone. They basically turn a piece of jewelry inspired techo-gadgetry into a Lego toy looking thingy.

Perhaps a ceramic chassis formulation will someday arrive so we can have the best of both worlds and banish the cases. Sorry case makers - but I wish your market would evaporate.