Baffled by the iPhone Pocket? Here are 5 reasons why Apple's ridiculed phone ‘sock’ actually makes sense

• Apple’s iPhone Pocket has come in for plenty of criticism since it launched
• At first glance, it might 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 flow of commentators were quick to jump online and alternately berate or defend 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 for the greenlighting of the iPhone Pocket is all to do with Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs. The irascible 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 sweater.

Although Miyake himself passed away in 2022, his company has carried on his name – and it’s that company that is behind the iPhone Pocket. Whether Jobs would actually have approved of the iPhone Pocket is another matter.

Secondly, while you might not have heard of Issey Miyake (the man or the company), the name is a pretty big deal in Asia in particular.

It’s long been popular with the older generation, but recently it’s found its way into the wardrobes of a younger clientele. The Asian market plays a massive role in Apple’s revenue, so appealing to the continent’s customers makes business sense from Apple’s perspective.

This is also reflected in the fact that Asia also plays a big part 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 the iPhone Pocket is sold at are found in Asia. That reveals a lot about Apple’s reasoning behind the product.

While it looks confusing on the service, there are a few other reasons why Apple has released the iPhone Pocket. For one thing, phone carrying accessories have been a trend that's 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 heft of a bag, and as a fashion item in their own right.

After all, it’s not long since Apple launched the Crossbody Strap for the iPhone 17 to match the likes of Bandolier – clearly, Apple knows there is 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 that does rise 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 come with every Apple Watch launch, the iPhone Pocket is intended to be a premium fashion statement much more than a practical everyday object. Apple is positioning its fabric iPhone accessory as something aspirational, something that plays on the combined weight of the Apple and Issey Miyake names, and as such it was never meant for regular consumers.

Apple certainly didn't help itself during the iPhone Pocket launch by stating that it has a "3D-knitted design" and was inspired by “a piece of cloth”. Some might say it was almost courting headlines and attention. But Apple also clearly had its reasons for launching this premium accessory – and as usual, it was willing to endure some short-term ridicule for its grander fashion plan.

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