Purple iPhone 12 just went on sale — get yours now

Purple iPhone 12
(Image credit: Future)

The purple iPhone 12 is now available to by. The purple iPhone 12  starts at $799, while the purple iPhone 12 mini is a little cheaper with a starting price of $699. 

Both models can be had with 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage and are available to buy outright or with carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. In general, we rather like the new purple colour, though not everyone on Tom's Guide is in love with it. Read on for our reactions. 

Some have commented that the purple iPhone 12 looks lavender or even blue, but it's certainly bold looking without being overpowering. The glass back shifts colors a bit depending on how the light hits it, and I like the color-matched aluminum sides. 

Here's what some fellow Tom's Guide staffers have to say about the purple iPhone 12.

Marc McLaren, UK editor in chief

I reckon Apple’s got it right here. Garish colors on phones can make them look like toys, but this purple tone is subtle enough to not look cheap or childish. I’d definitely take it over the other colors except black. It’s always got to be black for me.

Roland Moore-Colyer, U.K. editor 

While I love my dark blue iPhone 12, I have to say the light purple hue of this phone is rather lovely. I'm already a little enamoured by the purple back of the Samsung Galaxy S21, so having an iPhone 12 in similar hue is a winner in my most humble of opinions. 

Henry T. Casey, senior editor

This purple looks like candy from my childhood in the best possible way. I’d probably want to get a clear case for it, so I could see it and not hide it all the time.

Kate Kozuch, senior writer

I think Apple missed the mark on the purple color from a fashion perspective, if that’s what the company was going for with this new release. Purple was the “it” hue two years ago, something orange or yellow would’ve better captured 2021’s color trends.

Tom Pritchard, editor

It's not really the color for me. Maybe I'm boring, but I don't see my phone being a fashion statement. Plus, the lilac purple color seems far too close to what Samsung's been doing the past couple of years. Like someone at Apple just went "hey look at that" and copied it.

Denise Primbet, trainee news writer

If I wasn't desperately waiting for the iPhone 13 to upgrade from my current yellow iPhone 11, I would consider getting the new purple iPhone 12, which in all fairness looks more like lilac to me.

I'm personally a huge fan of pastel color schemes in general, and I love the fact that Apple is shifting towards including more fun colors in its iPhone lineups. The only thing is, I really wish they released the new purple color along with the others so that people who have already invested in the pricey smartphone would not be regretting/second-guessing it now.

What do you think of the purple iPhone 12? Feel free to sound off in the comments. 

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.