Wow, the $230 iPhone Pocket is such a bad deal it makes Labubus look good

When I first saw Apple's new collaboration with Issey Miyake, the so-called iPhone Pocket, I genuinely thought it was a joke, a thoughtful and clever meme that mocks the rising prices phenomenon. I mean, $229 for what's essentially a stretchy piece of cloth that holds your phone?

As it's often the case in 2025, it turns out that's not satire, but simply reality. Apple says it's inspired by the concept of "a piece of cloth", which I guess is on the money. Just look at it:



Now, don't get me wrong – I've got nothing against high-end fashion collabs or limited-edition accessories. Sometimes these partnerships create something fresh or so luxurious it's truly exceptional. But this? This looks like someone had only a sock and a pair of scissors to work with.

Apple says the iPhone Pocket is made with 3D-knitted, single-piece construction. That sounds fancy until you realize that's basically the same technique your grandma uses when she knits socks while watching her favorite soap opera. I mean it, and if you don't believe me, you can ask your (or anyone else's) grandma to give it a try.

Something positive

Well, the aesthetics are clean and simple (I like simple). The iPhone Pocket embodies the modern, almost sculptural feel; it's like something you'd see hanging in a modern art museum. But when you strip away the press-release poetry, you're left with what it really is: a soft, stretchy phone bag with a logo attached and a premium price tag that could buy you an entire midrange Android.

I'm not knocking the fans who genuinely like this. There's a certain crowd that lives for this blend of Apple design and avant-garde fashion, and that's fine. Everyone's got their thing. But when the price hits $229 for the long strap version and $149 for the short one, it stops being about taste and starts being about what we're willing to normalize. Because if this sells out – and it probably will in certain circles – it just confirms that we, collectively, have lost all sense of proportion when it comes to what's "premium".

Let's put it this way: I'm not against the idea of a $200 burger, but I better get at least $175 of ingredients in there. Otherwise, what's the point of choosing it over the regular $20 burger?

Why the partnership?

I keep thinking about how this could have been something else entirely. Imagine if Apple had made this as a fun, affordable accessory – say, $39.99 – a small design object that celebrated collaboration without punishing your wallet. It could've been an accessible nod to craftsmanship and simplicity.

But that kicks the fashion brand out of the equation: and Apple bets it's precisely the Issey Miyake tag that'll sell this thing. Because people may not necessarily need a piece of fancy sock, but they'd fancy an overpriced fashion statement.

If you ask me, the iPhone Pocket isn't just expensive – it's the purest example yet of haute couture. It's not about practicality or comfort; it's about signaling. It's about telling the world you belong to a tribe that values aesthetics over function, and maybe that's the whole point.

So yeah, maybe it's sleek, maybe it's stylish, maybe it'll even look good hanging off the shoulder of someone. But at the end of the day, asking $230 for a phone sling is

Gold, literally

Want to see what a real extravaganza looks like?

Last year, Huawei's Mate XT Ultimate – the world's first tri-foldable – made waves as one of the most extravagant smartphones ever produced. Then, the Caviar company managed to push it even further. The company unveiled a one-off version built entirely from 18-karat gold, weighing roughly two pounds and carrying a staggering $100,000 price tag. It was custom-made for a single wealthy client in the US.

Phones like these were never meant for ordinary buyers. They existed more as collector's pieces or status symbols, much like fine watches or jewelry.

It's irrelevant if you find the gold-made phone fancy or not. What I'm saying here is that there's at least a reason to put a ridiculous price tag on it. There was this $150,000 Labubu doll as well – again, you may think the world is out of its mind (you'd probably be right), but an argument could be made – it's a collectible.

The $230 iPhone sock, though, doesn't strike like something collectors would regard highly next year.

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