Apple’s iPhone Pocket Could Be Its Oddest Accessory Yet
Apple iPhone Pocket and ISSEY MIYAKE cinnamon with iPhone 17 Pro [Apple]
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It’s been an unusual year for Apple’s first-party iPhone cases and accessories, and now the company appears to be dialling things up to eleven with an even edgier entry: the iPhone Pocket.
In a collaboration clearly significant enough to justify a dedicated press release, Apple has worked with Issey Miyake’s design house to create “a singular, 3D-knitted construction” that feels like a throwback to the 2004 iPod Socks extended into a crossbody strap.
We couldn’t possibly do this justice with a paraphrase, so here’s Apple’s poetic explanation in full:
iPhone Pocket features a ribbed open structure with the qualities of the original pleats by ISSEY MIYAKE. Born from the idea of creating an additional pocket, its understated design fully encloses iPhone, expanding to fit more of a user’s everyday items. When stretched, the open textile subtly reveals its contents and allows users to peek at their iPhone display. iPhone Pocket can be worn in a variety of ways — handheld, tied onto bags, or worn directly on the body. Featuring a playful color palette, the short strap design is available in eight colors, and the long strap design in three colors.
“The design of iPhone Pocket speaks to the bond between iPhone and its user, while keeping in mind that an Apple product is designed to be universal in aesthetic and versatile in use,” shared Yoshiyuki Miyamae, design director of MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO. “iPhone Pocket explores the concept of ‘the joy of wearing iPhone in your own way.’ The simplicity of its design echoes what we practice at ISSEY MIYAKE — the idea of leaving things less defined to allow for possibilities and personal interpretation.”
In other words, it’s a bag that wants to be an art statement.
A Return to Fashion?
While this is an arguably fun idea, the price tag is decidedly not. Apple is selling two versions of the new iPhone Pocket: a short-strap version sells for $149.95, while the longer-strapped one goes up to $229.95.
Yes, you read that right. We thought Apple’s dance with the fashion industry was over, but this new collaboration feels straight out of the Burberry era of Apple design.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a limited-edition release, arriving this Friday, November 14 in only ten of Apple’s flagship stores, many of which are located in cities known for being fashion destinations: New York City, London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.
If you don’t live near one of those stores and you’re willing to drop $150 or more on Apple’s latest fashion accessory, the good news is that Apple will also be selling it online — but only in eight countries: France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US.
The short strap will be available in lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black. The long strap version, on the other hand, has a more limited selection, offering only sapphire, cinnamon, and black.
The iPhone Pocket may bear a passing resemblance to the iPod Socks, but it’s a far cry from those strange-but-classic iPod cozies that sold in a six-pack for only $29 — or about $5 each. These arrived in an era where the iPod was trendy, but not explicitly “fashionable,” and added a degree of whimsy for anyone who wanted a more casual vibe for their iPod.
