The color midnight green (midnight green) From iPhones 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, despite having their detractors there (cough cough myself cough cough), is a success – so much so that Apple chose it to represent its most expensive smartphones in almost all official product images. What almost nobody knew, however, is that producing it is a little harder than it looks.
In a recent interview with Nikkei, Tim Cook credited the existence of the midnight green iPhone to Seiko Advance, Apple’s Japanese partner specializing in pigment production – no, nothing to do with the Seiko you know from watches. For those with a sharp memory, Cook visited the partner’s facility in Japan a few weeks ago.
Seiko Advance is a relatively small company, with only 140 employees, but it was the only one in the world capable of unraveling the puzzle brought by the color desired by Apple. The problem is that the development of green pigments is usually more difficult than that of other colors, and generally involves the use of polluting elements, such as iodine and bromine; Seiko Advance, however, was able to develop a relatively clean and harmless production process for the paint.
Seiko Advance is a great example of our invaluable suppliers here in Japan. Thanks to their craftsmanship and attention to detail, the gorgeous colors of iPhone 11 Pro really come to life! pic.twitter.com/PFEuXo7Fy0
– Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 10, 2019
Seiko Advance is a great example of our priceless suppliers here in Japan. Thanks to their skill and attention to detail, the beautiful colors of the iPhone 11 Pro come to life!
Because of this differentiation, Apple signed a contract with Seiko Advance for the exclusive supply of pigments related to the four colors of the iPhones 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max (space gray, silver and gold, in addition to the midnight green). The vibrant colors of the iPhone 11, on the other hand, have their pigments supplied by other – multiple – suppliers.
It is worth noting that Apple’s relationship with the Japanese supplier does not come from today: the first contact between the companies occurred in 2011, when Apple organized a meeting for pigment manufacturers to present their products and solutions.
At the time, Seiko Advance was unable to comply with the “very high standards” of the Cupertino giant – it was four years of research and development until, in 2015, the company managed to develop a process for producing a black pigment, which started to be supplied for some iPhones of that color. Now, in 2019, the partnership has established itself and has everything to remain fruitful for years ahead.
iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
in Apple
Cash price: from R $ 6,299.10Installed price: up to 12x R $ 583.25Colors: space gray, silver, midnight green and goldCapabilities: 64 GB, 256 GB or 512 GBLaunch: September 2019
via iMore
