Apple’s $230 iPhone Pocket: Your Pants Are Not Tough Enough | Cult of Mac
At any normal price, the new iPhone Pocket is stupid. For $230 it’s a dud and conceited. Apple is charging a hefty fee for the unholy connection between a scarf and a sock.
It’s easy to scoff, and the internet did plenty of that on Tuesday after Apple took the wraps off its latest iPhone accessories. But the iPhone Pocket also attracted immediate fans. actually Fashion said that the trendy iPhone bag “could just be the must-have accessory of the season.”
The $230 iPhone Pocket that no one asked for
Good news – you can ditch the convenience of holding your iPhone in your pants. Now there’s an iPhone pocket, another place to store your handset. There are two versions: one that you wear on your wrist ($149.95) and a longer version to wear around your neck ($229.95). It has a 3D knit construction and is available in a range of colours.
The iPhone Pocket is a collaboration between Apple and Miyake Design Studio, founded by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake.
“The design of the iPhone Pocket speaks to the bond between the iPhone and its user, keeping in mind that an Apple product is designed to be universal in terms of aesthetics and versatile use,” said Yoshiyuki Miyamae, design director of Miyake Design Studio, in an Apple press release announcing the accessory. “iPhone Pocket explores the concept of ‘the joy of carrying an iPhone your own way’.”
Sock with straps
Photo: Apple
Much of the online criticism of the new product can be summed up in a Reddit post: “‘I was just thinking I should get a sock for my iPhone.’ No one ever said.”
The price is also for a lot of condemnation.
“$150 for a piece of fabric to put your phone in? To quote Stanley.” Office: “Are you crazy?” What a ridiculous price. The sad thing is people will still buy it,” said one post on Reddit.
And of course there’s this:
The iPhone Pocket looks great pic.twitter.com/uTugcJIjvC
— Mike Rundle (@flyosity) November 11, 2025
Steve Jobs would like an iPhone Pocket
No criticism of the iPhone Pocket better encapsulates the phrase, “Steve Jobs wouldn’t do that.” Because he sure would.
The late Apple co-founder admired Miyake’s design philosophy and approached him in the early 1980s after seeing how Sony was using uniforms to build a sense of identity. While Jobs was unable to get Apple employees to adopt company-wide clothing, he personally embraced Miyake’s work. His signature black turtlenecks were created especially for him by a Japanese designer.
That’s the kind of person Jobs is: conceited. When he wanted a simple look, he didn’t go to Target and buy a bunch of black shirts. No, he had a world famous clothing designer make some that cost about $300 a piece in today’s dollars. Whether you think it’s cool or ridiculous, it says a lot about whether you’re likely to buy an iPhone Pocket.
If you still doubt that Steve Jobs would love this new accessory, you might need a reminder that he was Apple’s CEO when it released the iPod sock.
iPod Socks went so the iPhone Pocket could run. pic.twitter.com/qvw3U47dP3
— Basic Apple Guy (@BasicAppleGuy) November 11, 2025
For fashionable iPhone fans
Average Apple users can say what they want, but they are not the target market for this product. iPhone Pocket is for fashion lovers, especially in Asia.
As stated, Fashion he called it “the breakthrough collaboration between Apple and Issey Miyake that could be an indispensable accessory of the season.”
Much of the criticism also comes from the United States. In Japan, Miyake Design Studio has a devoted following and the product is likely to find a lot of customers there. It could also become popular in China, where crossbody phone carriers are very stylish.
Note the cities where the iPhone Pocket will be displayed in Apple Stores. The shortlist includes Tokyo and Hong Kong, but also Paris and Milan. The only American city is New York. These are all places where high fashion is valued.
A lot of Americans consider the iPhone Pocket to be a luxury and don’t really see the need to trade it for a $230 pants pocket. But those with the cash for a Miyake creation will likely have a very different opinion.
Ed Hardy He has been writing about the technique full-time for 25 years and has been using it for much longer. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but he now uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. It is written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthandas well as other sites.