The rumored iPhone 17 color lineup includes a shocking twist for the iPhone 17 Pro models. 

Last week, a Korean blogger named yeux1122 published two images of camera covers that could be the full lineup from iPhone 17 base model and the rumored iPhone 17 Air, and leaker Majin Bu posted that the rumored Sky Blue color would be scrapped for the Pro models. And now, another leaker has posted this week the possible color lineup for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. We'll get to the surprise in that photo below. 

We've already heard plenty of rumors that the iPhone 17 base model could come in purple, green and blue. Two to three other familiar colors are now said to be included in the options -- totaling five (or maybe six) possibilities for the base model. The rumored iPhone 17 Air could come in four, while the Pro and Pro Max are expected to have five. 

The rumored iPhone 17 is likely to drop in September. As the month draws closer, we're hearing plenty of rumors and leaks, but we're still playing the guessing game. Here's what we're hearing about possible iPhone 17 colors. 

The rumored full color lineup 

Here's the full lineup for the rumored iPhone 17 base and Air models, according to Sonny Dickson, a consumer tech reviewer, who shared an image on X on Monday:

The iPhone 17 base model could come in these colors:

• Black
• Gray
• Silver
• Light blue 
• Light green 
• Light purple

The iPhone 17 Air could be released in these colors:

• Black
• Blue gray 
• Light gold
• Silver

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could come in these colors: 

• Black 
• Gray 
• Silver 
• Dark blue 
• Orange

Yeux1122 has a similar lineup in their post, but the base options don't include gray. 

Black and silver aren't surprising since we've seen both neutral colors in earlier iPhone models and generations. However, if you use a colored phone cover instead, like I do, this possibility could be welcome. 

The iPhone color I didn't see coming

Purple, blue and green are all part of the same color palette. The neutral colors don't quite surprise me since they're standard for iPhones at this point. But the color orange is shocking. Dickson expects that the color will only be for the Pro and Pro Max models. 

Dickson also noted the orange shade may end up being a dark gold or copper. 

Sky blue could be old to Apple, but a new iPhone hue 

Here is the MacBook Air M4 in sky blue, the same color that the iPhone 17 Pro might come in. Josh Goldman/CNET

The early rumored color for the iPhone 17 was sky blue. 

Well-known leaker Majin Bu posted the rumor of the new color on their blog, calling it "a refined, bright, and modern shade." But why sky blue?

Perhaps because the latest M4 MacBook Air currently comes in sky blue, an iPhone in the same color could be an aesthetic win for sky blue MacBook owners. 

Bu initially wrote that the sky blue color could be for the iPhone 17 Pro, but recently scrapped that rumor to say sky blue would be for the iPhone 17 Air. 

It seems like there's a possibility for different shades of blue, as we see in the lineup above. Rumor has it that there could be a blue option for the iPhone 17 base model and a dark blue for the iPhone 17 Pro. But based on Bu's post, there's a possibility of the iPhone 17 Air getting a sky blue hue. We'll have to wait and see which -- if any -- blues will be available for iPhone 17.

The possibility of purple 

Bu posted on X and their blog on June 20 that Apple is testing purple and green, but that purple could be another new color for the iPhone 17's base models.

Bu said that purple could meet Apple's rumored demand for more personalization while blending into Apple's ecosystem for its other products. 

If green is added to the iPhone 17 lineup, Bu says it could be a "fresh and natural tone, ideal for a minimalist yet striking aesthetic." Yeux1122 and Dickinson included both purple and green in their rumored lineups this month. 

Could an aluminum iPhone design bring more colors?

Here is the iPhone 16 (left), 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. James Martin/CNET

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a titanium frame, but analyst Jeff Pu predicted that the iPhone 17 could usher in the return of the aluminum frame for both the Pro and baseline models, as we've seen with earlier versions like the iPhone 14 lineup. Considering the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's colors are based on titanium, it raises the question: Will an aluminum frame mean new colors? 

The one phone in the iPhone 17 lineup that could have a titanium frame is the rumored slimmer iPhone 17 Air, according to Pu. We'll have to wait and see what Apple decides. 

A look at past iPhone colors

Here is an iPhone 14 Pro in deep purple. Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Apple likes to release both new and familiar colors for every new iPhone release. 

Usually, we see more color variations for the basic models, and more neutral colors for the Pro and Pro Max iPhone models. For instance:

The iPhone 14 came in six colors: midnight, starlight, red, blue, purple and yellow. However, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models only came in black, silver gold and deep purple. The same is true for the 15 model phones, but Apple offered one fewer color for its base model.

iPhone 15 models were available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black, while Pro and Pro Max models arrived in more neutral tones like white, blue, black and natural titanium. 

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max colors didn't change from the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. However, the other iPhone 16 models were available in ultramarine, teal, pink, white and black. 

How many new colors we may see from the rumored iPhone 17 is still unclear, but as of now, a sky blue option could well be in your future.