For a number of years, Apple has asked that developers use only images of black iOS devices in their App Store marketing materials, although that restriction has never been firmly enforced. With the new look of iOS 7, Apple has been turning its promotional focus to white devices, and as noted by 9to5Mac earlier this month, the company removed language restricting developers to black devices, opening the door to additional color options.

On its App Store Marketing Guidelines page, Apple provides product images with blank display areas for all of the current iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models to allow developers to paste their app screenshots into them for promotional purposes. The product colors included in Apple's downloads are limited, however, with the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini available in silver and space gray options while the iPhone 5c is available in blue and white and the iPod touch is available in blue and space gray.

ios_blank_product_images
Notably absent are files allowing developers to include their screenshots on gold iPhone 5s devices for marketing purposes, and Apple has now extended that restriction to custom photography and video, which already requires explicit approval from Apple. Apple has clarified which colors of devices may be used in custom photos and video with a new addition to the marketing guidelines:

Feature only the most current Apple products in the following finishes or colors: iPhone 5s in silver or space gray, iPhone 5c in white or blue, iPad Air in silver or space gray, and iPad mini in silver or space gray.

Just yesterday, a survey revealed that the blue and white iPhone 5c models have proven most popular with U.S. customers, and Apple's guidance on using those colors for developer marketing parallels consumer preference.

The iPhone 5s is a somewhat different story, with that survey showing the gold models with the lowest share among the three color options, but gold models have also been in the shortest supply. Those shortages have almost certainly skewed the buying patterns as customers wanting a gold iPhone have in many cases been forced to either turn to another color or hold off on their purchases until they can find a gold unit for purchase.

Apple has been heavily promoting the gold iPhone 5s in its television and print advertising for the iPhone 5s, and thus it appears that Apple prefers to keep focus on the distinctive color to itself. Within hours of the iPhone 5s launch as it became clear that customer demand for gold models was higher than expected, Apple was reportedly already moving to boost production of those models. Supplies do, however, remain very tight in Apple's retail stores and other locations.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Sky Blue Avatar
136 months ago
I would tell Apple to go jump in a whole and send my checks on time.

a whole what?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
136 months ago
What sort of moron is going to see a gold coloured 5S as any more of a luxury item than say... a 'space grey' one?

Wait, you mean they're not plated with real gold?

*cancels all his orders*
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roadbloc Avatar
136 months ago
It makes perfect sense. They want to promote the gold as if it were a luxury item. The ads need to be styled to support this. Use of the gold images in a contrary manner could dilute their message.

What sort of moron is going to see a gold coloured 5S as any more of a luxury item than say... a 'space grey' one?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
furi0usbee Avatar
136 months ago
I would tell Apple to go jump in a whole and send my checks on time.

You must have fallen into that *hole* as Apple both makes the rules and writes those checks. So unless you play the game by their rules, you will be stuck in that hole. It seems Apple wants to distinguish their ads from all the rest, with only they using the gold iPhone. Whatev.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wheeeelan Avatar
136 months ago
Makes sense purely from a clashing colours standpoint. Colours on screen look nicer set against the blank canvas of white and black.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
136 months ago
Maybe this is a sign they are going to discontinue the gold iPhone.

How I miss that downvote button.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...