A lot of this world is worse off because colour is still so much more than mere decoration in the hardware that gives us all of this stuff. Apple knows this. The company’s new Space Black MacBook PRO has the world in a flat-spin, for a good reason. It’s a colour like no other. It really is so much more than just a shade. It’s a statement. And lucky anyone, who loves its elegance and mystery – so grown up, so bad ass, (if I do say so myself) – can own a little piece of it. From the MacBook PRO to the feverish anticipation of the launch being extended to the iPhone and beyond, Space Black isn’t just a colour. It’s a way of life.
When Apple announced the Space Black MacBook PRO after years of rumours, it was more than a product unveiling. It was an epiphany. With its ‘fingerprint-resistant black-aluminium finish that’s even darker than before’, the Space Black MacBook PRO was immediately recognisable, ushering in the heart of what Apple is all about: the combination of aesthetic appeal and utility. At Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ livestream event, announcing the latest product updates, the introduction of the colour wasn’t simply miscellaneous: it was iterative.
It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the ‘breakthrough chemistry’ finish that Apple refers to – an anodisation process that makes the Space Black MacBook PRO fingerprint-resistant, while also keeping it rather roughly inviolate. It is this kind of craftsmanship that elevates the MacBook PRO, a tool used by a discerning public that’s also regarded as a work of art, consigned by itself to its own class.
The appeal of Space Black isn’t confined just to the MacBook PRO. Anticipation for its expansion to other Apple products (currently only to the iPhone and iPad PRO) tells you something about the object’s allure all by itself. The new Space Black iPad PRO appears, at last, to be that new way to experience that mysterious hue, but now in an object that’s more accessible than ever before.
And the second and third of Elite Traveler’s rumours – that the Space Black option will be available on the next Apple ‘Pro’ releases: the iPhone 16 PRO and the AirPods PRO – express the wishful thinking of a monolithic project of sleekness that somehow takes on the mystique of being grown up. A black iPhone 16 PRO with smudge-resistant variation on Space Black would not be just a coveted piece of tech: for the ever hopeful, it would be a gadget that takes on the mystique of maturity.
And space black isn’t exactly a new concept for Apple: two years ago, the MacBook offered it, if only briefly. The PRO lineage and the fact that it’s only offered in machined aluminum further cements its stature in the premium space. This isn’t just about bringing back a color. It’s about bringing back a legacy.
In all this glimmering allure of Space Black and its extension to Apple’s device portfolio, what we see, ultimately, is our fervour for devices that refract our individuality, our unique sense of style. Apple’s MacBook PRO tastefully pioneered the expressive colour black as a hue of choice and as harbinger of a new paradigm of device personalisation, a positive responsive action that goes beyond mere function. It does care for the professional in us (yes, in all of us so-called professionals). But it also cares for something much deeper than mere expediency: it cares for our aesthetic aspirations, too. With Space Black weaving its magic beyond the MacBook PRO to many other Apple devices, it is now evident that, in the world of technology, colour doesn’t truly represent a choice of hue. It represents a choice of identity.
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