Samsung made a huge mistake by not making a pink version of its most expensive new phone, the Galaxy Fold
- Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its most futuristic smartphone yet: a foldable smartphone-tablet hybrid called the Galaxy Fold.
- The Galaxy Fold starts at $1,980 - so it's definitely not for everyone.
- Unfortunately, Samsung chose to release this phone in only four colors: black, silver, blue, and green.
- Samsung should've released a pink or rose gold version of the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung's new Galaxy Fold is one of the most innovative smartphones we've ever seen.
It's a clever concept: You can use the phone in one hand, like you'd use any phone, but if you want more real estate to look at a map, for instance, or watch a video, the phone opens up into a full-size tablet.
The Galaxy Fold launches in select markets on April 26, which is two months from now. But it won't be for everyone.
The phone costs $1,980 to start. To be perfectly clear, that number is its starting price - it only gets more expensive when you upgrade its internals.
Read more: Check out Samsung's $1,980 foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold
Lots of people will be priced out of this phone. But many others simply won't be interested because the phone itself doesn't fit their style.
While the Galaxy Fold is beautifully made, its four available colors leave much to be desired. You can buy this phone in black, silver, green, and blue, and you can even customize the color of the metal hinge that makes this folding concept work in the first place.
But all of the colors look rather dull, and somewhat masculine.
It was a big mistake not to release this phone in a pink, or rose gold color.
The argument for rose gold
Back in 2016, a year after Apple released its first iPhone in that rose gold color - the iPhone 6S - Wired's David Pierce wrote an excellent story about why rose-gold gadgets are so incredibly popular with customers.
Pierce spoke with Leatrice Eiseman, a color specialist and the executive director of the Pantone Institute, which names the annual "Colors of the Year." Eiseman had a really interesting response when Pierce asked about rose gold.
"There's a lot of research that goes into what color means," she said. "When we get to the rose family, we get these same kinds of verbiage: Compassion, composure, warmth, something that draws you in that has great appeal."
Eiseman went on to explain how rose gold conjures feelings of calm and peacefulness - and that's important when you're dealing with technology.
Over the years, the tech industry has aimed to make products more warm and likeable. The first computers were cold, alien machines. Today's computers, like laptops and tablets, aim to be more user-friendly and approachable. Color, as odd as it may seem, plays a big role there.
Pierce summed it up well when talking about the significance of rose gold tech in his Wired story:
Consumers love it for the subliminal sense of peace and calm it provides in an increasingly hectic world. Companies love it because it conveys opulence and comfort, two things that aren't easily communicated with a metal rectangle. Ultimately, a rose gold gadget is more than a gadget. It's a choice, a decision that says something about what you value.
Color is a fashion statement as well. Rose gold is great because it's not as gaudy as gold, but it still gives an air of luxury. It's also stylish, and appeals to all genders - pink may be a traditionally feminine color, but it doesn't have to remain that way.
In the last few years alone, the color pink has played many rolls: the color of a protest, the color that briefly defined a generation, and the color that has pushed the boundaries of men's fashion.
Altogether, pink tech makes a powerful statement. A simple color change can make gadgets feel more friendly and approachable, and make people feel like they're not just buying a piece of tech, but also a fashion accessory. In that sense, a pink or rose gold color could've offered a lot of value in the $2,000 Galaxy Fold.
Here's hoping Samsung has a change of heart in the two months between now and the Fold's release date in late April.