- Apple’s Pocket iPhone has received a lot of criticism since its launch
- 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 technology companies can match. When it announced the iPhone Pocket earlier this week, for example, a rabid stream of commentators were quick to jump online and alternately berate or defend the tech giant.
But regardless of what you think about the iPhone Pocket, there are reasons why Apple decided to go ahead and release the cloth phone holder: the company didn’t just pull the idea out of its pocket.
The first reason to give the green light to the Pocket iPhone has to do with Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs. The irascible maverick who founded Apple was a big fan of Japanese designer Issey Miyake, and even got the fashion guru to create his iconic black turtleneck sweater.
Although Miyake himself passed away in 2022, his company has been named after him, and it is that company that is behind the iPhone Pocket. Whether Jobs would have actually approved of the Pocket iPhone is another question.
Secondly, although you may not have heard of Issey Miyake (the man or the company), the name is quite big deal in asia In particular.
It has long been popular with the older generation, but has recently found its way into the wardrobes of a younger clientele. The Asian market plays a huge role in Apple’s revenue, so attracting customers from the continent makes business sense from Apple’s perspective.
This is also reflected in the fact that Asia also plays an important role in the availability of the Pocket iPhone.
You can buy it online at Apple’s online stores in China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, as well as in France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. But as for Apple stores, 60% of the 10 physical stores sell the iPhone Pocket They are found in Asia. This reveals a lot about Apple’s reasoning behind the product.
While the service seems confusing, there are a few other reasons why Apple launched the iPhone Pocket. On the one hand, accessories for carrying 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 weight of a bag, and as a fashion item in its own right.
After all, it hasn’t been long since Apple released the Crossbody Strap for the iPhone 17 to match Bandolier; Clearly, Apple knows there’s demand for products like this, and the iPhone Pocket is just the latest version.
How much does it cost?
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 rises to $229.95/£219.95 for a long strap. In many ways it is, but it is not a device intended for mass consumption.
Like the Hermès bands that come with every Apple Watch release, the iPhone Pocket is intended to be a premium fashion statement much more than an everyday practical object. Apple is positioning its cloth iPhone accessory 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 launch of the iPhone Pocket by claiming that it has a “3D woven design” and was inspired by “a piece of fabric.” Some might say it was almost attention-grabbing and headline-grabbing. But Apple also clearly had its reasons for releasing this premium accessory and, as always, was willing to endure some short-term ridicule for its broader fashion plan.
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