In defense of Apple’s $230 iPhone sock

If you think Apple’s $19 polishing cloth is ridiculous, wait until you hear about Apple’s latest product: the limited edition iPhone Pocket is a cloth sling for your phone, which retails for $149.95 for the short size, and $229.95 for the long crossbody size.

It appears that the item itself may be a bait for rage. Apple’s website says it was inspired by the “piece of cloth” concept, where just one piece of cloth makes up the entire design.

But the iPhone Pocket actually makes a lot of sense in the context of the fashion world — I’d buy a small, bright yellow one sock A pocket to attach my azalea pink Telfar bag if the price doesn’t scare me off. But granted, I’m probably not in the income bracket that the three-figure sock is targeting.

If you’re familiar with Issey Miyake, the Japanese brand behind the iPhone Pocket, this design should look familiar to you. Miyake, the late revered designer, pioneered the APOC (“Piece of Cloth”) concept in 1997, which showcased his innovative, tech-forward approach to fashion while also reducing waste.

“Featuring a ribbed mesh construction with the same pleated properties as the original Issey Miyake design, iPhone Pocket is a beautiful way to wear and hold iPhone,” says Apple. “When extended, the open fabric subtly reveals its contents and allows you to peek at your iPhone’s screen.”

No wonder Miyake’s quiet genius caught the attention of Steve Jobs, another entrepreneur known for his creativity. The two became friends, and in the 1990s, Jobs asked Miyake to design uniforms for Apple employees, like those he had seen at Sony in Japan. Jobs’ team rejected the idea of ​​wearing the same clothes every day, but Jobs still liked the idea – so he and Miyake worked together to create his own personal uniform.

Yes, Issey Miyake, the brand behind Steve Jobs’ famous black shirt, is also responsible for the iPhone Pocket. (But Miyake himself was not involved in designing the pocket, since his death in 2022.) Although the Miyake brand and Apple have never worked together, their collaboration feels like a long time ago, as it was Miyake who developed the Jobs aesthetic, which has come to symbolize Apple’s sleek elegance under his direction.

In its tall size, and coming in just three colours, the iPhone Pocket builds on the current trend of cross-body phone accessories. Apple even released its own $59 strap this year, which we found to be well-made, though a bit finicky for regular use. (However, some photographers claim it is the perfect camera strap.)

But in the short size — which we expect to be more popular, given its low price and wide color range — Apple could exploit the Labubu. Listen to me.

Like the iPhone Pocket, the Labubu’s popularity seemed trivial and incomprehensible in a way that made it all the more interesting to those who bought it. While a single Labobo “blind box” costs around $30, some rare forms of the luxury keychains could cost up to $10,000 at the height of the craze. But the most obvious comparison between the Labubu and the short iPhone Pocket is that they’re both accessories for your accessories. (This is probably in the name of another puzzling trend: decorating your own Stanley Cup.)

With Tap to Pay technology, or physical wallets connected to your phone, you can leave the house with just your phone and move around the world just fine. (Bonus points if your door is unlocked by entering a code – no keys!). It’s no wonder more bags are being designed for the phones themselves. Think about how popular those Trader Joe’s mini bags were, or how the Telfar mini cross-body bag remained a “signature” bag. Brands like Free People, Baggu, Lululemon, and even IKEA sell keychains that are just mini versions of their existing bags. It’s no exaggeration to say that the sock could be next.

Will the iPhone Pocket be the Lapopo of 2026? I wouldn’t bet on it. But if it becomes a holiday gift this season, I’ll still say I told you so.