Apple’s $230 Knit iPhone Carrier Stirs Fan Debate
▼ Summary
– Apple unveiled a crossbody knit iPhone pouch priced between $150 and $230, created in collaboration with designer brand Issey Miyake.
– The pouch, launching Friday, comes in short and long strap designs with varying colors and is inspired by Issey Miyake’s “a piece of cloth” concept to minimize waste.
– It is designed to be worn cross-body, handheld, or tied onto bags and fits any iPhone model, but will have a limited release in select Apple stores and online.
– Critics, including tech reviewers and consumers, compared it unfavorably to Apple’s cheaper 2004 iPod Socks and mocked its high price as excessive.
– Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee and Reddit users described the product as a “litmus test” for Apple fans and questioned its value, with some mistaking it for satire.
Apple has introduced a new crossbody knit iPhone pouch, sparking immediate discussion among its user base due to its premium pricing. The accessory, developed in partnership with the esteemed Japanese design house Issey Miyake, known for creating Steve Jobs’ iconic turtlenecks, carries a price between $150 and $230 depending on the strap length. While the company emphasizes its design heritage and functional versatility, many customers are questioning the value proposition of a fabric pouch at such a cost.
Available starting this Friday, the iPhone Pocket comes in two configurations. The short strap version offers eight color options at $149.95, while the longer three-color design retails for $229.95. Apple describes the pouch as an “additional pocket” that can be worn across the body, carried by hand, or attached to another bag. It is designed to accommodate any iPhone model and draws inspiration from Issey Miyake’s “a piece of cloth” philosophy, which involves cutting garments from pre-sewn tubular fabric to reduce waste and maintain a uniform aesthetic.
This limited-release item will only be sold through select Apple stores globally and via the company’s online shop. Almost immediately, social media users began comparing it to Apple’s 2004 iPod Socks, a set of six colorful knit sleeves priced at just $29. The stark difference in cost between the two accessories has become a central point of debate.
Prominent tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, who commands an audience of 20 million YouTube subscribers, voiced skepticism in a tweet, suggesting the product acts as “a litmus test for people who will buy or defend anything Apple releases.” Similar sentiments flooded online forums, with one Reddit user admitting they “thought this was a parody,” while another sarcastically called the $150 price “a bargain.” Critics argue that the new pouch feels like a luxury reinterpretation of a previously affordable and lighthearted product.
The Verge also weighed in, labeling the iPhone Pocket a “pretentious” successor to the iPod Socks and recalling how former CEO Steve Jobs humorously introduced the original socks as a “revolutionary new product” meant to “keep your iPod warm on cold days.” That earlier launch was met with laughter and a sense of fun, whereas the latest offering is being met with scrutiny over its pricing and perceived extravagance.
(Source: Forbes)
