Why Apple could launch a glossy white iPhone

Apple's glossy black iPhone 7 is a clear hit for the company more than a month after launching. Some models of the "Jet Black" iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are still in short supply even now.

So it makes sense that Apple could be working on a glossy white model of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, as Japanese Apple rumor blog Mac Otakara floated on Monday, citing supply chain sources.

The rumor is thin, but there's a lot of reasons why Apple could be preparing a shiny, smudgy, white iPhone 7.

• The jet black iPhone 7 is selling well, and there's a lot of demand.
• Consumers in Asia, specifically China, love glossy smartphone finishes, and find them to be a desirable feature, according to KGI Securities.
• White, historically, is one of Apple's primary colors, and its earbuds, Solo 3 headphones, and AirPods come in white. When the iPhone 4 became available in a white finish, it was in high demand.
• If iPhone 7 sales flag in the first half of next year, as is being projected, a new color of iPhone could cover up some of the weaknesses in iPhone demand ahead of a big sales boom in the fall.
• The "microabrasion" and smudging issues being seen on Jet Black iPhones will appear less evidently on a white model.

There's one issue with Mac Otakara's report. The phrase "jet black" refers to polished gem material that is related to coal. There is no such thing as "jet white."

To the marketing geniuses at Apple, I might suggest a new name for the glossy white color: "Piano white."