Gear

Paint Jobs: The Triumphs and Tragedies of Colorful Gadgets

Apple isn't the only company that likes injecting a little color into its product lineups. Unfortunately, the results aren't always pretty. Here are some hits and misses from the gadget world.
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If Internet chatter is to be believed, Apple is about to drop a rainbow-infused group of iPhone 5Cs on all of us. While the iPod line has been a colorful experience for a few years now, the iPhone has only been available in black and white. But that's about to change, it seems. Apple's going all second-generation iMac on us with the new iPhone 5C. ("C" probably stands for Color. We'll find out Tuesday.) Depending on the company's choices, this could be a spectacular way to expand and individualize the iPhone line or a colossal spinning color wheel of disaster. Apple, of course, is far from the only company trying to inject some color into the often monochromatic world of gadgets. And the results aren't always pretty. Here are some hits and misses in the realm of color and form.

Red Jambox

The Jambox is a great little speaker that connects to your Bluetooth devices. Jawbone created and still owns the Bluetooth speaker market, and a large part of that has to do with the design of these portable speakers. It's been copied by competitors since day one. That the speakers come in an array of attractive colors probably doesn't hurt either. The blue speaker is nice, but it's the red version that really pops and reminds you not to leave it behind after a BBQ or day at the beach. Image: Jon Snyder/WIRED