Green phones, ranked

So, is there some kind of promotional tie-in?” My husband was searching for answers. “No. They’re just green phones.” This was not a satisfying answer, so he continued.

“Is it an environmental thing? Like are they made out of recycled plastic or something?”

Also no, I informed him. They’re just regular phones, but green.

“Oh, I bet it’s for St. Patty’s Day!” It also seemed unlikely that Apple would time the release of a new phone color for what is more or less an unofficial binge drinking holiday in this country, but I conceded that it was possible, given the mid-March timing.

Earlier this week, Apple announced some really interesting new hardware, including a new desktop for creatives and a display that doesn’t cost a fortune. It also announced new iPhone 13 colors: regular green for the regular iPhone 13 and alpine green for the 13 Pro Max. 

I set the two green iPhones on the dining room table alongside another recent green flagship phone: the Samsung Galaxy S22. I reviewed it earlier this month, and I was caught a little off guard by just how much I liked the green treatment. 

So now, I am now confronted with three different shades of green on three different phones. The regular green on the standard iPhone is a little more saturated, more Kelly green than I was expecting. It also makes the Apple logo stand out more than I like. Alpine green is a bit softer and more muted. And sitting side by side by side, they both make the green S22 look much less green than I thought it was and more of a deep blue-green.