Apple Wants To Sell a $250 Sock for the iPhone. For Some Reason.

Yes, this is correct. This is not April Fools. Apple sometimes does odd stuff like this.This week, Apple unveiled its new 3D-knit accessory for the iPhone, known as the iPhone Pocket, designed in collaboration with the Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake, famous for its pleats and designing Steve Jobs’s iconic black turtleneck.Apple iPhone Pocket. Courtesy of AppleIt comes in eight different colors — lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black — and can be held in hand, tied to a bag, or held directly from the top. It will be made in Japan using Issey Miyake’s own research and development, and that apparently is what one wants in a phone sock.Apple iPhone Pocket. Courtesy of AppleAnd that really is just what this is. It is a long 3D-knitted sling that the phone sits in, fully enclosed by the fabric. The fabric can also be stretched out, should one like to see the phone display inside. And that is about it.Apple iPhone Pocket. Courtesy of AppleIt is hard to say more than this about what is essentially just a sock that one puts a phone into, other than it costs a ridiculous amount. The short strap version is $150, and the long strap version is $230. For an Issey Miyake product, that makes it one of the most affordable items one can buy, but for an impractical sleeve to hold a phone, it is one of the more ridiculous first-party phone accessories revealed in a while. It does fit into a new family of iPhone accessories that Apple has introduced for the 17 line — cross-body slings and straps for those who prefer not to have their phone in their pocket — and though most of these seem relatively benign, this one is particularly impractical and odd. Also, as someone who lives in London, where smartphone theft is endemic, this may be the worst possible way to hold a phone. It seems so eminently snatchable.Apple iPhone Pocket. Courtesy of AppleWill anyone actually buy these? Rich people of Asia will. Fans of Issey Miyake will. Tech influencers looking to make a viral review will. But anyone else with sense to spare will pass. It goes on sale this Friday.

Apple Wants To Sell a $250 Sock for the iPhone. For Some Reason.

Apple Wants To Sell a $250 Sock for the iPhone. For Some Reason.

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