When Apple announced its new iPad Air last month, along with the hugely powerful processor and updated all-screen design, fans were excited about the series of brand new colours. And it seems that even one of the company's fiercest rivals is loving the new shades.
Google just announced its brand new Nest Audio smart speaker, available in five pleasant pastel shades. But Twitter users have quickly noticed that all five colours are pretty much identical to those of the 2020 iPad Air. Either both companies have been looking in the same places for design inspiration (our guide to colour theory, perhaps?), or these are simply the hottest tech colours of 2020.
Google calls the colour Sage, Sand, Sky, Chalk and Charcoal, while Apple opts for Green, Rose Gold, Sky Blue, Silver and Space Grey. Different names, but as you can see (above), very similar shades.
So who copied who? Having been announced second, it's easy to wonder if Google's Nest Audio took inspiration from the iPad Air. But with the announcements taking place weeks apart, that seems unlikely – product design is a long process, especially for tech giants like Google and Apple. But that hasn't stopped Apple fans from having fun with the similarity on Twitter (below), and even suggesting that Google could be the biggest Apple fan of all.
Of course, it's entirely possible that the almost identical colours are a coincidence. Perhaps both companies simultaneously felt that after the rollercoaster of 2020, what the world needs most is a bunch of new gadgets in calming pastel hues? Or maybe both took inspiration from the world of fashion colour forecasting. Those greens sure remind us of what Pantone recently called the must-have colour for 2021: Misty Jade.
We were seriously impressed with the specs for the upcoming iPad Air – we've no doubt it will join our best drawing tablets list, and we've even speculated that it could make the iPad Pro irrelevant. There's still no word on when exactly preorders will open, but you could grab a bargain on an incredible iPad right now by checking out the best deals below. And don't forget to swing by our Apple Amazon Prime Day page to see what offers are available.
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