On Thursday morning, Samsung unveiled the seventh color option for the Galaxy S7 edge: Black Pearl. The glossy black colorway will be exclusive to the 128GB version of the flagship phone, and will debut in select markets (though Samsung doesn’t say which) on Friday, December 9th. Does that sound eerily familiar? Does it sound anything like the much-lauded new Jet Black color that’s exclusive to Apple’s upper-tier 128GB and 256GB iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models?
In addition to Black Pearl, the Galaxy S7 edge is also available in Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, White Pearl, Silver Titanium, Pink Gold and Blue Coral, the last two of which were made available after the launch of the phone in March. This brings the total number of color options to seven, for those keeping track.
“While [the Pink Gold and Blue Coral colors] were largely inspired by calming, natural hues, Black Pearl was designed to be modern and striking,” says Samsung in a blog post. “The sleek black finish blankets the entire device – edges and all – and adds depth to its glass design. The result is a stylish all-black aesthetic that captures the essence of the color in its purest form.”
Although Apple didn’t invent glossy black electronics, it’s hard not to laugh when Samsung announces its own glossy black phone a few months after Apple’s glossy black phone becomes the most sought-after smartphone on the market. And it doesn’t help that Samsung’s Pink Gold color was announced shortly after Apple added Rose Gold to its palette for the iPhone 6s.
At the end of the day, no one really minds if Samsung follows Apple — as long as it doesn’t follow Apple blindly. For example, just because Apple thought it was a good idea to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack doesn’t mean Samsung needs to do the same with the Galaxy S8. Just steal the good stuff, please!
