I get it. Every time Apple drops a shiny and new product, I also feel the primal (and financially unrealistic) urge to drop what I’m doing and head to the Apple Store to buy a product that I, very clearly, do not need. (I mean, a burnt orange iPhone? What more could a UT student want?)
Even so, sometimes you have to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, “No, you do not need a worse version of a handbag that looks suspiciously like a sock just to hold your phone.”
On November 14, Apple dropped the new “iPhone Pocket,” a ribbed piece of fabric that wraps around you like a crossbody and holds your iPhone. The new drop was a collaboration with ISSEY MIYAKE, inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth.” The design of the iPhone pocket came from the idea of “creating an additional pocket,” according to an Apple press release.
The announcement was met with ridicule online. Some were comparing the new product to Borat’s mankini, others were saying it proved fans of the Apple brand would buy anything with the logo on it. Yet, despite the supposed hatred (and the cheap, cheap price of $150 to $230), the iPhone pocket sold out almost immediately.
There are many possible reasons for this rush in demand. The product’s limited availability, the collaboration with Issey Miyake, or even the iPhone Pocket’s likeness to the old iPod sock are all possible justifications for the immediate sell-out. Still, if you’re thinking of dropping everything to scour the internet for one of these limited-edition iPhone pockets, please let me attempt to dissuade you from the idea.
The iPhone pocket supposedly “explores the concept of ‘the joy of wearing iPhone in your own way,’” according to Apple’s press release. While the concept of ‘wearing’ an iPhone might be interesting, there are better ways to express your individuality and creativity through carrying your iPhone. A knitted handbag, a tote bag you bought at a local bookstore, even that beat-up backpack you’ve had since sophomore year of high school, all show more of your personality than an iPhone pocket ever could.
However, maybe you do just want to highlight your iPhone as a fashion statement. Rather than carrying it around as a piece of technology, something purely for utility, maybe you want it to be the center of your outfit. While I’m not quite sure I agree with that particular fashion decision, it is a choice that I, by no means, can stop you from making. Just don’t be surprised if, in two months, that $230 purchase ends up collecting dust at the bottom of your sock drawer.