Remember the iPod socks? Those brightly colored woolly wraps, sold back in 2004, that swaddled your iPod like it was an infant? In things we did not have on our bingo card for 2025, Apple has decided it is time to bring the knitwear back for the latest iPhones.
Meet the iPhone Pocket: a glorified yarn sling for your phone and whatever else you can cram in there without stretching the poor thing into oblivion. It looks a bit like a sweater you shrank in the wash and then tried to stretch out. Or maybe a mankini.
If Dr. Seuss were involved, we would call it a thneed.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
A woolly iPhone sling? Really?
Designed in collaboration with fashion brand Issey Miyake, it has all the hallmarks of high-fashion minimalism…apparently.
I’m no fashion expert, but fashion writer Tiffany Lo is, and she told me «the design embodies Issey Miyake’s signature pleat pattern and the idea of crafting it from a single piece of fabric. It’s instantly recognizable.» Issey Miyake, by the way, is the designer behind the endless supply of black turtlenecks worn by Steve Jobs. And an Apple employee uniform that almost happened.
The iPhone Pocket is a stretchy 3D-knitted pouch with ribbed textures that hugs your iPhone. You can wear it draped around your body as you see fit. It is see-through when you tug at it, so you can glimpse your lockscreen. But Apple wants you to put more than your iPhone in this accessory. You are encouraged to slip in AirPods, lip balm, a key fob, breath mints or any other pocketable item.
The iPhone Pocket comes in two lengths: short and long. The short one is more like a wristlet bag, while the long one turns your iPhone into a crossbody accessory. The wearable tech pouch is certainly a fashion statement if you decide to drape it across your torso, perhaps like a sash of questionable decisions. Whether you carry it in-hand, tie it to your bag, or sling it on like a fashion-forward postman, you will definitely get some looks, perhaps confused ones.
As for colors, there are several options. The short strap version comes in eight options: lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon and black. The long strap comes only in those latter three colors. So who will want this? Lo says the iPhone Pocket «could appeal to younger generations thanks to the design that allows users to wear it as a crossbody.» Given that Apple released crossbody straps for all its iPhones earlier this year, maybe it has some insights into what Gen Z really wants.
If you are itching to get your hands on the iPhone Pocket — for your Secret Santa circle of gifting — you can buy it starting Friday, either online or at select Apple stores in posh locations (think SoHo in New York, Marché Saint-Germain in Paris, Orchard Road in Singapore). The short strap design will set you back $150, while the long strap version costs $230. A far cry from the $29 an iPod sock went for back in the day.
