Why are Phones Black and White?

An HTC event in Seattle revealed a few interesting policies and plans of company’s working style. When speaking about the color choice of HTC handsets, the manager of product strategy Eric Lin explained a few color strategies directed to the US market.

It’s no secret that the majority of mobile phones are black. Perhaps, our life would become a little brighter if we took out a juicy colored handset from our pockets every time. But as it turns out, there are some informal rules that limit free color policies.

The black color has been and will most likely remain peculiar to the male population. While white, another popular mobile color, has already conquered a big number of female smartphone users. Blue, including its shades, tends to be unisex and popular with both sexes. That’s why most of the manufacturers play around with these three colors.

Then, colorful phones are perceived as handsets meant for children and teenagers. But even if we leave this aside, there is a tough competition between US carriers, each of which has its own color. For instance, Sprint has the monopoly over yellow, which is why this color is avoided by the rest. This prevents mobile manufacturers from playing around with colors.

On the other hand, color experiments are quite pricey, with just a single mockup costing $3000-$5000. Considering how many mockups are needed for user tests and carriers, it’s understandable why manufacturers prefer to go with the safest options.  Instead, phone cases are a great way of personalizing the device, and using whichever color the user likes.

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