How Apple achieves the high-gloss 'jet black' color on the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus

Apple made something of a fuss about the iPhone 7's new "jet black" color during this week's press event in San Francisco, going into depth about the nine-step process needed to achieve that look. Here's how it's accomplished.

Perhaps the most unique part of the process is actually the first, something Apple designer Jony Ive referred to as "rotational 3D polishing."

A machine drags the aluminum housing through a specialized powder, which buffs out imperfections and helps to produce a mirror-like effect. Typically in the industry, such housing would be buffed using a chemical wash or electrochemical method instead.

The housing is then dipped into an anodization tank, where electricity jolts the surface of the aluminum into aluminum oxide, making it more corrosion-resistant.

The surface is made porous so it can absorb the black dye, which Ive described as a "single-component" material "absorbed through a capillary effect to ensure maximum saturation." This apparently explains how Apple manages to achieve such a dark shade of black.

In the last step, the housing is spun through a bath of magnetized "ultra-fine" iron particles, used to polish the anodized layer for extra sheen. Apple in fact warns that this layer is more prone to showing scratching and scuffing, and hence people should use a case if they want to keep a device untarnished.

Preorders for the iPhone 7 are already underway, in advance of a Sept. 16 launch date. The jet black glossy finish is limited to iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus capacities of 128 and 256 gigabytes.

31 Comments

jfc1138 13 Years · 3090 comments

About 8 years ago

Maybe next year. Black for me this round.

williamh 14 Years · 1048 comments

sog35 said:

designr said:

"Apple in fact warns that this layer ismore prone to showing scratching and scuffing, and hence people should use a case if they want to keep a device untarnished."

Apple is simply protecting themself from stupid law suits.

Instead of trying to protect themselves from lawsuits by warning of a problem they know people will have, perhaps they would better serve their customers by sticking with more durable finishes. It seems Apple is so enthralled by their own cleverness that they can't give up a flawed finish. Why should anyone care how complicated it was to make the phone really shiny? And then advise us to hide the shine?

2 Likes · 0 Dislikes

fallenjt 14 Years · 4056 comments

williamh said:

sog35 said:

designr said:

"Apple in fact warns that this layer ismore prone to showing scratching and scuffing, and hence people should use a case if they want to keep a device untarnished."

Apple is simply protecting themself from stupid law suits.

Instead of trying to protect themselves from lawsuits by warning of a problem they know people will have, perhaps they would better serve their customers by sticking with more durable finishes. It seems Apple is so enthralled by their own cleverness that they can't give up a flawed finish. Why should anyone care how complicated it was to make the phone really shiny? And then advise us to hide the shine?

Because there're idiots out there who will complain or sue Apple no matter what. Without a warning , there will be ScratchGate. With warning, still complain. In fact, there's no fucking glossy black material that doesn't show scratches. Use your phone with care. "It's a fucking expensive super computer " (said John Legere), not a toddler's toy!

11 Likes · 0 Dislikes

brucemc 15 Years · 1541 comments

designr said:

"Apple in fact warns that this layer ismore prone to showing scratching and scuffing, and hence people should use a case if they want to keep a device untarnished."

LOL. They spend all of this time and energy creating this gorgeous shell...and then recommend people cover it. This is in the same vein of phones that are getting so thin that you need a case just to be able to pick them up.

Irony: It's what's for dinner.

Serious question. What do you recommend as a better course of action? Try to think of this from Apple's perspective, or just any business, not the perspective of someone simply looks to criticize.

1) Not produce such a finish in the first place?
- Consider though that reviewers who had access to the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7th said this was the best looking model.
- Apple gets more than its fair share of criticism that its devices are lacking "dazzle" or "wow factor". One way to do that is to have a really great looking finish.
- Lots of positive press for Samsung with the Edge, even though it makes the device more fragile and has no (real) benefits. But it is "cool"

2) Not recommend a case for those that want to maintain a pristine look for the phone. Wouldn't the complaint then be that Apple wasn't being honest?

3) Make a jet black material with a magic quality that is impervious to any scratches?