Why Apple’s iPhone pocket has got the internet laughing

Apple’s products are well-known for turning heads with a minimalist design and a high price tag. But it’s latest offering is facing a wave of online mockery.  

The US tech giant has announced a new carrying case, in collaboration with Issey Miyake, a Japanese fashion designer. It is called the iPhone Pocket, priced at a staggering Rs 20,379 ($229.95).  

The iPhone pocket product is made of stretchy nylon and polyester, featuring Issey Miyake’s renowned pleats please design. Unveiled on November 11, it is available in two sizes – the short case is $150  (Rs 13,297), and the long one is $230.

Now, as aforementioned, the iPhone pocket case is ridiculed online, but why? And how are social media users actually responding to the crazy and costly invention by Apple?  

Let’s take a look.  

iPhone Pocket: Colour, size and availability 

The release of iPhone Pocket took place on Tuesday, and from price to colour, it appears to be available in every form.  

The short iPhone Pocket is available in various other colours such as lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock (teal), sapphire, black and cinnamon.

The long case is available in three main colours – sapphire, cinnamon and black.

On Friday, November 14, the iPhone Pocket will be available for purchase on the Apple website. You can buy it from select Apple stores across the United States, China, France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom. 

Internet laughs out loud over ‘sock-like’ cover

Following the announcement of the product, the internet had some serious opinions about its price.

Popular tech YouTuber Marquees Brownlee, popularly known as MKBHD, asserted that “iPhone Pocket was a litmus test for Apple fans who defend the company’s every release.”  

https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1988256607168299122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

While making fun, another user referred to it as a “cut-up sock.”

“The iPhone pocket everybody. $230 for a cut-up sock. Apple people will pay anything for anything as long as it’s Apple,” a user commented.  

https://twitter.com/bentlyhasfallen/status/1988419482755223872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Another social media user added, “Will Apple fanboys defend this too? At this point, it honestly feels like Apple is just testing how far its fans will go to justify anything.”

https://twitter.com/aares0205/status/1988341981546950746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Interestingly, this is not the first time the company has unveiled a weird and expensive accessory for its product.  

In 2004, Apple introduced a set of multi-coloured ‘cotton knit socks’ for protecting iPods during travel, priced at $29 (Rs 2,571).  

A few years ago, it also unveiled a unique, but extremely expensive off-white microfibre cloth named “Apple Polishing cloth”, which costs around Rs 1,700 today.

Apple’s reaction says it all

The tech giant explained, “Issey Miyake and Apple today unveiled iPhone Pocket, inspired by the concept of a piece of cloth. Its singular 3D-knitted construction is designed to fit any iPhone as well as all pocketable items.”

“It is born from the idea of creating an additional pocket; its understated design fully encloses the iPhone, expanding to fit more of a user’s everyday items,” Apple added.

Apple’s Vice President of Industrial Design, Molly Anderson, said, “Issey Miyake and Apple share a design approach that celebrates craftsmanship, simplicity, and delight. This clever extra pocket exemplifies those ideas and is a natural accompaniment to our products.”

With inputs from agencies