ColorWare outs custom colors for the Apple iPhone 3GS

If you're anything at all like us, you were just a tad disappointed by the color "options" of Apple's newest foray into the world of mobile phones, the iPhone 3GS. After all, who wants to be limited to just black and white these days? Not us, that's for sure -- and ColorWare's just announced a fix for all that. Pricing for these customs jobs runs $150 for the back of the handset, $20 a piece for the bezel frame and button, and $15 the SIM holder. They'll also do up your earbuds for an additional $15. A small price to pay for beauty, no? Another shot of a different color combo after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

[jesus @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:53PM]

ripoff

[murmermer @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:00PM]

Tell that to someone that can afford it

[liv @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:22PM]

I'm curious... why don't they make a separate post when Color-whatever makes new skins for other smartphones?

[zspang1234 @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:32PM]

@liv

they only color iPhones; G1s; blackberry curves, bolds, and storms; sidekick 2008; and some cisco phones...

those phones aren't exactly new.

BUT, if you remember, engadget covered the colorware of the DSi.

[Phill @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:35PM]

@ liv:
They usually have. Here's just a few.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/25/g1-and-blackberry-bold-get-the-colorware-treatment-finally-feel/
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/colorware-gets-ahold-of-blackberry-curve-8900/

The fact is, there aren't many phones that can get colorware'd right now, only the real popular ones. This isn't another apple conspiracy thing, its usual engadget business, and I for one am happy they do. Although I have a G1, whenever they come out with this stuff, I go play with color combos when I'm bored, so its cool to hear about new toys.

[OneLove @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:52PM]

The iphone is a great device, but f*** the iphone already!

(plus its on AT&T)

[Bob @ Jun 23rd 2009 3:10PM]

Those colors are HIDEOUS!!!! Those guys need to figure out their color combos! Wouldn't go anywhere near that thing...

[anodynewake @ Jun 23rd 2009 3:45PM]

I bet Kanye saw this post and went freaking nuts.

Pseudo-hipster craft-uniqueness and color combined with absolutely helpless and reckless yuppie lifestyle? Enter the Colorware iPhone 3GS as your phone of choice.

[marc @ Jun 23rd 2009 4:56PM]

Check out this ipod touch that has colorware:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iPod-touch-1st-Generation-8-GB-Colorware-blue_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a12Q7c66Q3a2Q7c39Q3a1Q7c72Q3a1205Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem4a9883fed0QQitemZ320386367184QQptZOtherQ5fMP3Q5fPlayersQQsalenotsupported

[ET @ Jun 23rd 2009 6:29PM]

ebay has kits to replace the shell for like $30, are they charging $120 for labor?

[x1500 @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:53PM]

The alst one ist really cool. Perfect for a Business Phone

[redcard @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:26PM]

liv, turn the question around; why do they make posts for anything iphone related? Cos people like you give page views.

Do you see?

[bolezhinkov @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:35PM]

agreed. and it reminds me of my old sony walkman colours.

[KeegdnaB @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:55PM]

an extra $15 for the SIM holder? geez, they're worse than Apple themselves

[Cagrino @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:59PM]

To be the man, you gotta beat the man! Whooooo!!

(message courtesy of Rick Flair)

[216 @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:02PM]

win

[CraigJ @ Jun 23rd 2009 9:46PM]

that's only if you want it different from the back.

Actually,. for professional paint job, $150 is pricey, but not overly so.

[Jon Nelson @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:56PM]

This almost seems cheap compared to some other ColorWare offerings I've seen

[Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:38PM]

Yeah the quality of ColorWare is usually much better than this. This does look like a ripoff.

[Hung @ Jun 23rd 2009 7:10PM]

Huh? How is the home button colored? Did they include a home button to install?

"Careful though, you will have to buy a new digitizer bezel if you remove the home button. The home button is held on with plastic pegs which cannot be replaced." - Step 5, RapidRepair iPhone 3G S Repair Guide

http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/iphone-3g-s-repair/iphone-3g-s-dissasembly-repair-guide.html

So, if that is the case, the new home button wouldn't feel the same as the old one, unless Colorware put some effort into its implementation!




... sigh.

[Aaronage @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:00PM]

Well that's just wonderful, as well as having to remortgage your house to get the damn phone in he first place, you'll have to sell your soul to the devil for a bloody custom paint job :P

[gib @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:10PM]

"having to remortgage your house to get the damn phone in he first place..."

Your house is only worth $200? I knew home values have talked, but wow...

[gib @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:11PM]

*Tanked*, not talked

... lousy missing edit feature.

[parabs @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:02PM]

I actually like the color of my iPhone, why would I want to pay $200 to make it ugly?

[esmtll @ Jun 23rd 2009 5:47PM]

Obviously, you wouldn't. So I wouldn't worry about it. But Colorware is still in business. And a lot of people don't like white or black (or have cash to burn). So there you go. Apparently, since you "like the color of your iPhone", you probably wouldn't pay $5.

We call it "options". I realize that people who buy Apple products aren't used to this sort of thing, but they exist in the real world. And sometimes you have to pay for them if they're extra special. And since you can get it painted WHATEVER color your heart desires, the end product, by default, would be quite appealing to it's buyer (besides, I wouldn't exactly call red "ugly").

[mbentley @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:02PM]

i would maybe pay $15 for the back, nothing more. charging $150 for something like that only works if you are apple yourself.

i like my white iphone though.

[Jakob @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:10PM]

It seems to work pretty well for them too; first ColorWare news: Jul 27th 2006 (http://www.engadget.com/tag/colorware/)

[Leindurstit @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:04PM]

If they offered a matte/rubberized-finish option for the back, I'd be all over this. But no, just the same selection of ugly-ass colors.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:53PM]

EXACTLY! Hey ColorWare you need "matte" finishes!
"If you offered it they would come!"
(Smart-phones, portable gaming devices, portable music players, game controllers, etc.)
All with color matte/rubberized finishes? Come on its a NO BRAIN'ER!

[byrdpyper @ Jun 23rd 2009 7:40PM]

totally agree, matte colors would be amazing.

[CharlieX @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:06PM]

only if they could Bedazzle it. Then maybe $150. Maybe.

[iDavey @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:47PM]

+1

[Joel @ Jun 23rd 2009 4:20PM]

What, your iPhone isn't bedazzled already?! You must not have a creative 4 yro daughter

[Dana @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:08PM]

and y'all mocked the brown Zune?

[Dead_Rebel @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:14PM]

I didn't. Brown Zune RULES.

[maleboligia @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:09PM]

Isn't the phone worth only a bit more than this paint job? I'll use a crayon to color mine before I pay $150

[daddy @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:12PM]

Yes, you CAN get it in brown.

[MrEverdred01 @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:12PM]

I would definitely get custom colors for my iPhone if this was $100 cheaper and they would let you change the black frame surrounding the screen. What's with that? My white iPhone looks so dumb with the black frame around the screen.

[Jonathan @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:13PM]

There's no doubt that this is cool, but I'd rather use a case and keep my warranty, thanks.

[Rainier @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:17PM]

I think I had a Fila windbreaker in that same green/purple color scheme back in 1989.

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:18PM]

The red one is cool, except they should really leave the home button black. And the teal/purple/orange one...that's a joke, right? That sucker is NASTY.

[decypher44 @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:20PM]

Damn, just paint it yourself! Total cost around $12.00.

[Marcus @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:20PM]

WHAT!? They managed to paint the exact same hardware as before!?

Something is wrong here...

[mayur @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:25PM]

those colors look really cheap

[esmtll @ Jun 23rd 2009 5:47PM]

well, Engadget gets a kick out of upsetting people like you. They custom-made that image. You can do it yourself on the website. Welcome to the internet.

[mikethevee @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:28PM]

If they did it for the ATT fuze.. i'd drop some decent money....

[TrCeaAstTer @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:32PM]

I have never seen a problem with the current color schemes... And for heaven's sake if you "need" to stand out just buy a colored case.

[Sam @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:38PM]

Is this news? They've been doing this for 2 years.
Did they pay you to promote them?

[iDavey @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:49PM]

This doesn't really seem like "news"

Since its the same design as the 3G...and we already knew they did it for that. So isn't this just common sense =\

-shrug

But nice none the less

[richb93 @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:49PM]

Second shot with green and purple = I love 1990.