Is Apple losing its touch? The new iPhone Pocket has many questioning whether Apple has finally jumped the shark! As a self-confessed Apple devotee – I've got the AirPods Pro (all three generations, mind you!), an iPhone, an iPad, and I'm even writing this on a MacBook Pro – even I have to wonder: is this the lamest product Apple has ever released?
Let's talk about this "iPhone Pocket." Designed by Issey Miyake, this is essentially a $150 strap… with a pocket for your phone. Want a slightly longer strap? That'll be $230, please. Yes, you read that right. Is this just the latest example of Apple's premium pricing gone too far?
Now, to be fair, there's some stiff competition for the title of "Lamest Apple Product Ever." We can't forget…
- The infamous $20 "Apple Polishing Cloth" – because apparently, our iPhones deserve only the finest microfiber.
- The $30 Apple iPod Socks, a product so bizarre that even Steve Jobs's approval couldn't save it from ridicule! Who needs socks for their iPod?
- The $700 wheels kit for the 2019 Mac Pro. Yes, wheels. For a computer. At the price of a decent used car down payment.
- And who could forget the $999 stand for the Pro Display XDR? (Just the stand, mind you, not the actual display.) I mean, come on!
- We can even throw the Apple Power Mac G4 Cube from the mid-2000s into the mix: beautiful, yes, but also overpriced and underpowered. A classic case of form over function.
But hold on, what is the iPhone Pocket, exactly? Well, fittingly for something designed by a fashion designer, it's an accessory. A 3D-knitted textile sleeve – or pocket, if you will – designed to hold any iPhone model, or, really, anything else that fits. It comes in two sizes: a short strap (16 inches, or 40 cm) and a long strap (31.5 inches, or 80 cm), and it's available in a variety of colors. You can find it now at select Apple store locations and on Apple's web store in the U.S., U.K., France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
And this is the part most people miss... The construction of the iPhone Pocket is actually pretty interesting. It's 3D knitted, which means it's made using computer-controlled knitting machines. These machines can create complex shapes, pockets, tubes, and contours all in one continuous piece. Think about it: objects that are 3D knitted, like sleeves, pockets, shoe uppers, or wearable accessories, come off the machine already shaped, with fewer seams. This typically makes them more comfortable, more durable, more flexible, and reduces fabric waste. So, there's some genuine innovation here.
But here's where it gets controversial... Let's look at the common threads woven into the fabric of these "Lamest Apple Product" contenders.
- They're almost always wildly overpriced.
- They generally solve problems that... well, it's not clear anyone actually has.
- Sometimes, they feel like design challenges that accidentally escaped into the real world.
- They also tend to get discontinued fairly quickly, but they live on forever as memes.
And honestly, the iPhone Pocket seems to fit right in.
For anyone who truly desires to wear their phone around their neck, options abound on Amazon. Sure, they're not designed by Issey Miyake, but on the upside, they start at under $10. Is the designer name really worth the price hike?
Like all things Apple, however, there's a built-in demand from a global legion of people with deep pockets. So, of course, the iPhone Pocket has already sold out. But is it a genuine expression of style and functionality, or just another example of Apple's brand power convincing us to buy something we don't really need?
What do you think? Is the iPhone Pocket a stroke of genius or a sign that Apple is losing its way? Let me know in the comments below! I'm genuinely curious to hear your perspectives. And be honest: would you buy it?
