- Apple’s iPhone Pocket has received plenty of criticism since it was launched
- At first glance, it may seem like an odd product for Apple to sell
- But there are a few reasons why Apple released this fabric phone holder
Apple has a way of polarizing people that few other tech companies can match. When it announced the iPhone Pocket earlier this week, for example, a rabid stream of commentators was quick to jump online, alternately bashing or defending the tech giant.
But whatever you think of the iPhone pocket, there are reasons why Apple decided to push ahead and launch the fabric phone holder — the company didn’t just pull the idea out of its, err, pocket.
The first reason to green light the iPhone Pocket is everything to do with Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs. The furious maverick who started Apple was a big fan of Japanese designer Issey Miyake, and he even got the fashion guru to create his iconic black turtleneck.
Although Miyake himself passed away in 2022, his company has carried his name on – and it is the company behind the iPhone Pocket. Whether Jobs would actually have approved the iPhone Pocket is another matter.
Second, while you may not have heard of Issey Miyake (the man or the company), the name is a beautiful one big deal in Asia in particular.
It has long been popular with the older generation, but recently it has found its way into the wardrobes of a younger clientele. The Asian market plays a huge role in Apple’s earnings, so appealing to the continent’s customers makes sense from Apple’s perspective.
This is also reflected in the fact that Asia also plays a large role in the availability of the iPhone Pocket.
You can buy it online at Apple’s online stores for China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, as well as France, Italy, the UK and the US. But as for Apple Stores, 60% of the 10 physical locations that the iPhone Pocket is sold to be found in Asia. It reveals a lot about Apple’s reasoning behind the product.
Although it looks confusing on the service, there are a few other reasons why Apple released the iPhone Pocket. Firstly, accessories for phones have been a trend that is gaining popularity in recent years, both as a way to carry a device when your clothes don’t have deep pockets and you don’t want the tongue of a bag, and as a fashion item in its own right.
After all, it wasn’t long ago that Apple launched the Crossbody strap for the iPhone 17 to match bandoliers – it’s clear that Apple knows there’s a demand for products like this, and the iPhone Pocket is just the latest iteration.
How much?
Finally, we come to the price. You might think that a starting price of $149.95 / £139.95 is an outrageous price to pay for a woven iPhone holder – and it rises to an eye-watering $229.95 / £219.95 for a long strap. In many ways it is, but this is not a device intended for mass consumption.
Like the Hermès straps that accompany every Apple Watch launch, the iPhone Pocket is meant to be a premium fashion statement, much more than a practical everyday object. Apple positions its fabric iPhone accessories as something aspirational, something that plays on the combined weight of the Apple and Issey Miyake names, and as such was never intended for mainstream consumers.
Apple certainly didn’t help itself during the iPhone Pocket launch by saying it has a “3D knitted design” and was inspired by “a piece of fabric.” Some might say it was almost courting headlines and attention. But Apple clearly also had its reasons for launching this premium accessory – and, as usual, it was willing to endure a momentary ridicule for its larger fashion agenda.
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