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Smartphone fashion show: Nine beautiful smartphones prove they aren't all black slabs

Some people complain that all smartphones today are black slabs. Actually, we have seen some brilliant colored phones the last couple of years so here's a few to consider.
By Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
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1 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Beyond the tech, colors are prevalent

We have seen smartphone manufacturers push the limits of mobile technology so today nearly every phone lasts for a full day of use, the cameras all help you take great photos, audio sounds great, and you can access the internet from anywhere.

Colors are now starting to be more desirable and we have seen some gorgeous phones from all manufacturers over the past couple of years. This image gallery includes phones from Huawei, OnePlus, Honor, Essential, Samsung, and HTC. LG, Apple, and others have attractive phones, but I did not have any non-black ones on hand to shoot for this gallery.

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2 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Lineup of nine phones

The new Silk White OnePlus 6 is next to the Mirror Black one in the top row with the Honor 7x and Honor View 10 in red and blue to the right.

The bottom row includes the HTC U12+ in Translucent Blue, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in Coral Blue, Essential Phone in Ocean Depths, Huawei P20 in Midnight Blue, and Huawei P20 Pro in Twilight.

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3 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

OnePlus 6 in Silk White may be the most gorgeous phone ever

OnePlus just sold 1 million units in 22 days and my Silk White model arrived today. After opening up the box, it may just be the most gorgeous phone I have ever seen before. The white glass feels like a marble countertop with not a single fingerprint appearing on the back. The rose gold highlights match perfectly and I can now understand why OnePlus keeps selling out of this model.

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4 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

I may be in love with a phone

Sandra Vogel awarded the OnePlus 6 a 9.1/10 rating in her full review, but I might even add another 0.5 just for this Silk White design alone.

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5 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Huawei P20 Pro in Twilight

Prior to seeing the Silk White OnePlus 6, I was partial to the Twilight color Huawei P20 Pro. The color transitions from blue to green to purple and it looks as well as it functions.

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6 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

HTC U12 Plus beauty surpasses its functionality

The Transparent Blue back is cool, but unfortunately beauty is only skin deep on the HTC U12 Plus. The haptic buttons are a fatal flaw and it should probably be pulled from the market and re-released with proper buttons.

However, the Liquid Surface glass back sure looks good.

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7 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

The Coral Blue of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is my favorite color scheme from Samsung. I also bought the Coral Blue Note 7, but then Samsung recalled it so I had to give it back.

This model is now two years old, but still looks fantastic. Samsung has some nice colors available today in the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus so check them out at your local store.

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8 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

OnePlus 6 in Mirror Black

The evaluation unit I was sent for the OnePlus 6 is Mirror Black and unlike other black phones, this one reminds me of an onyx stone. It truly does look like a mirror and while it is black, it also looks fantastic.

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9 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Essential Phone in Ocean Depths

The Essential Phone is actually a pretty solid device with titanium and ceramic materials. With the recent price drop and special offers, it is a decent high end choice at a mid-range price.

The Ocean Depths color had a limited release in the US. It's a blue-green mix that looks different in various lighting conditions. There is matte titanium around the edges with gold highlights too.

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10 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Huawei P20 in Midnight Blue

The little brother to the Huawei P20 Pro packs two cameras instead of three, but still has some great looks. The Midnight Blue P20 is lovely with the color changing a bit in well-lit environments.

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Budget Honor 7X in red

The Honor 7X is a bargain at less than $200 and you can even pick one up in a cool red color. You get dual cameras and a fast rear fingerprint scanner too.

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Honor View 10 in blue

The Honor View 10 packs flagship specifications, but is priced in the mid-range level. It is also available in a cool blue and comes with two powerful rear cameras.

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13 of 13 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Red, white, blue, green, and black

Don't assume you have to pick up a black or silver slab in the future. Android manufacturers are pushing out more unique colors and maybe Apple will start releasing its RED models when all the other standard white, black, and gold models are released.

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