iPhone Pocket | Hacker News Reader

iPhone Pocket

apple.com

523 pointssoheilpro1,302 comments

See also iPod Socks - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45889602

Objects have to earn the right to exist. We make so much stuff. Most of it unnecessary. Stuff that will soon be cluttering your home and then end up in a landfill.

This is not a product that deserves to exist. It is not made from quality materials ( Nylon (14%), Polyester (85%), Polyurethane (1%)). It is not innovative. It is questionable whether it solves its primary use case particularly well.

What makes this particularly objectionable is that it is from a design house that usually makes quality garments. And then they stoop to making this crap, slapping their designer label on it and then exploit ghastly people who don't know any better to waste tons of money on it.

This is pissing on Issey Miyake's grave.

It's November, but I still had to make sure the date on the page wasn't April 1st.

Im not sure if you have spent any time in Asia but they love to have little throwaway bags for their to go drinks so they stay cold - and they hang in the same way. This looks like the exact same thing but pop an iphone in it.

Wild waste of materials and design.

Are you familiar with Miyake's work? He did a lot of innovative design with synthetics, including the entire Pleats Please line.

Synthetic fabrics are perfectly capable of being high quality. Buzz Rickson aren't making their MA-1s out of junk.

Hadn't heard Issey Miyake mentioned in over a decade. He was an important designer in the 1980s, and died in 2022. Known for running completed garments through a pleating machine.

Looking at that thing, the overall impression is "a phone so big and heavy it needs its own shoulder bag?"

There are at least two graves I can think of that this is pissing on.

What do you mean? Nylon and polyester can be extremely durable, that’s always been their appeal. A knitted pocket is very likely to be a BIFL item even moreso than typical cotton or wool fabrics unless they’re specifically designed to be hard wearing, like canvas. That and the fact that it’s designed to fit any size and model of phone means it’s likely to be significantly less wasteful than putting your phone in a high end leather case that will age out when you upgrade.

Apple is clearly trying to experiment with more textile elements on its products, like with the Apple Watch band and FineWoven/tech woven cases to move away from using environmentally damaging leather and cheap feeling silicon. Stuff like this, sold in small lots, is how you test out whether people are into it before trying to work it into a product meant to sell to hundreds of millions of people.

> It is questionable whether it solves its primary use case particularly well.

The primary use case is to show off that you can afford useless pretentious crap. It fulfils this role perfectly well.

> Objects have to earn the right to exist.

Yes, and that is what a free market is for

I don’t understand this either but you and I are obviously not the target market

You hate on Louis Vuitton but have you ever tried one? Have you looked at all the designs they have? I think LV is better than Hermes bags with that horrendous closure they have on the Birkin and other bags. LV has cool colorful designs also in their ready to wear. You might object to the branding but the bags work very well and are designed well in terms of how easy it is to get stuff in and out and if you don't throw it around the canvas can last a long time. Hermes might have nice Pogo leather and so on but that doesn't mean that closure is worth the hassle IMO.

Also IDK what to think about the iPhone Pocket. It LOOKS like a hassle to get stuff in and out of it but if they have somehow managed to make it easy, maybe it's well designed. If not then I agree with you the product is probably garbage.

> We BUY so much stuff. Most of it unnecessary.

Fixed it.

>It is not made from quality materials ( Nylon (14%), Polyester (85%), Polyurethane (1%))

Polyamids like Nylon are some of the highest quality and most durable fabrics in the world, with some of the best material characteristics fabrics can have.

Given the constraints of the product and looking at it from an engineering standpoint, these are the materials you want for a product like this. Flexible, durable and resistant to weather. I do not see what other materials you would use to achieve a better quality product.

That said, it is of course a stupid fashion accessories. The world is full of them.

I've never seen a bag similar to this so from that perspective it's a bit innovative.

I am so very very far from the target market here though.

Beatifully said and you are right. I will get mine on Temu.

and then exploit ghastly people who don't know any better to waste tons of money on it.

It's attempting to be a Veblen Good.

First thing I my mind went to was the iPod Socks. I still have my old ipods in them... Only me? Ok :|

To be fair a lot of garments from Issey Miyake are made from similar material.

I see you haven't seen designer collabs from ikea and target then.

But… but… it’s a 3D-knitted construction!

None of that matters, Apple drones will buy it.

>It is questionable whether it solves its primary use case particularly well.

It solves the problem of "how do I flaunt the fact I carry an iPhone to everyone around me"

It's a conversation piece and way to flaunt your wealth and status by uncovering a iPhone 17 Pro Max S+ Duo XTX from it when asked.

> It is not made from quality materials ( Nylon (14%), Polyester (85%), Polyurethane (1%)). It is not innovative. It is questionable whether it solves its primary use case particularly well.

It is impossible for Apple to innovate. It's way too much work to compete with BYD/Tesla on real things like Electric Cars.

It's a LOT easier just to extract money from idiots who pay top dollar for 'fashion'. They will market this as the Balenciaga of phone bags, to differentiate it from the $2 phone bags that will appear on Temu next week (or they are already there; Apple is slowly catching up after a few years).

I got excited for a moment, thought it was a new line of iPhone Mini -- you know, the actual handheld iPhones. I still use my 13 Mini.

This was the biggest letdown of clicking a link since my last Rickroll in the early 2000's

Just some trivia (and an aside):

The collaboration is with Issey Miyake. Steve Jobs black turtlenecks was Issey Miyakes:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2022/08/10/heres-...

(As an aside, I swear by pants from the Issey Miyake Homme Plissé collection. Since investing in some pairs about 10 years ago, I have hardly worn anything else—no other pants match their comfort. The iPhone Pocket is of course ridiculous anyway.)

Had to double check the date here. This really is indistinguishable from an April 1 post.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/hs8p2zm/a/iphone-pocket-b...

https://media.gq-magazine.co.uk/photos/5f8efdba9b357099d70a9...

Awww... I was so much hoping for an iPhone that will fit into my pocket. The 1st iPhone SE was the perfect form factor. But no, Apple's phones just had to grow and grow and grow like cancer ...

In my opinion, the fact that Apple is now selling a bag to carry your oversized phone around in, is an admission that they failed to make phones that are convenient to carry.

It's kind of hilarious to me when the tech world collides with the high-end fashion world. On the one hand, I get how absurd this seems from a tech perspective. On the other hand, dropping a couple hundred dollars on a fashion item that will be trendy for a season among a certain group... it's no different from any other high-end fashion accessory. It's just that the two worlds so rarely overlap.

I’m so glad there are some people willing to pay over $200 for “a piece of cloth” which I assume is a translation issue but it sounds uninspired- who knew your inspiration for a bag could be the material that most bags are made of?

I especially like how it’s sized to fit almost any iPhone ever made. So not only are you getting a bag made of cloth, for over $200 it’s not even custom fitted!

Anyway, this product isn’t for me. I suppose enough other people will buy it.

Edit: I suppose the short version is under $200 but my sentiment hasn’t changed. Perhaps I’m even more cranky now that increasing the length of the strap costs $80. That’s the same level of rip-off that Apple charges for increased SSD storage on their Macs.

Had to make sure it wasn't April 1st.

Hacker news is probably not Apple's core audience for this product.

I recently saw in Southeast Asia everybody had their phone with a strap going around their neck. Which is why Apple made a first party case recently that does this. Apple's making products to cater towards international trends. People paying a lot of money for a fabric product is not unheard of, simply take a walk around the nicer mall in your area with multi-thousand dollar handbags as a demonstration.

It gets really difficult to parody apple (and some of their customers) when they do things like this.

Apple should experience the same surge of collective excitement everyone felt when they first saw the headline "iPhone Pocket," followed by the crushing disappointment of discovering it's just a grocery bag for your iPhone.

It might be dumb, but at least it's expensive.

This looks like it would make basic interaction with your phone highly cumbersome. It also looks like an easier target for thieves.

I was out with my young coworkers and was absolutely baffled to see a bunch of them with slings for their phones. That was the only time I’d heard of such a thing until now. I kinda thought I’d drunkenly hallucinated it.

Reminds me of the iPod Socks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Socks

I was hoping this would be the announcement of a mini iPhone.

Instead they’re selling larger pockets because normal pockets aren’t big enough for large phones.

For those surprised by the cost, this is an Issey Miyake product, and the price is in-line with that. It's no different than the $800+ Hermes leather Apple Watch straps.

> iPhone Pocket in the short strap design retails at $149.95 (U.S.), and the long strap design at $229.95 (U.S.).

Ha, I bet the muggers/phone thieves will have a field day.

I find it interesting that anybody is that surprised. Remember, this is the company that overcharges for SSDs (no they're not magical super SSDs that only Apple can make)/extra ram.

They charged $1000 for a monitor stand that's pretty much just a thin block of aluminium.

I'm still waiting for them to collaborate with Levi's to bring iPhone sized pockets to women's jeans.

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth”

Ugh

Looks like the swimsuit from Borat

I had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1. If Apple can sell a sock to put your iPhone in for 150 bucks… I wish I had the skills for that.

Apple releases a baffling knitted thing every 20 years. What wonders will 2045 bring?

Seeing all the nerd brains of HN implode trying to understand this. This is what happens when the tech and fashion worlds overlap for a moment.

It sucks that most people don’t see the pocket as the perfect overlap between fashion and tech. It’s the ideal Issey Miyake bag, it’s just something tech people won’t get.

Back when Steve Jobs was at Next, Apple released the Duo Dock. Instead of plugging your laptop into a docking station, you put it in a slot like a giant 3.5" floppy. It was different, sure, but I still don't know what design problem it solved.

This is today's Duo Dock, isn't it?

I always have a little chuckle when I see people holding a tiny delicate smartphone in a massive fat case to protect it from the damage it will inevitably take in normal use. I always think that it would have been better if they had just made the phone itself a little tougher!

I legit had to do a double take and ensure this wasn’t an old April fool’s post. The concept… odd but whatever. The price…

Wasn‘t Borat wearing one of those like 20years ago?

Wait this thing is like $150? It's got all of like $2 worth of yarn and plastic.

A sucker is born every minute, clearly.

> the long strap design at $229.95 (U.S.

Their level of innovation is inspiring. I knew my grandmother was ahead of her time. Apple just proves it.

> iPhone Pocket features a singular 3D-knitted construction

What does that mean? What would be an example of 2D knitted construction ?

Nerd question: what are the in-wear physics of this item?

It looks like a mass on a spring: the phone is a relatively heavy weight, and the wool pocket and strap are naturally springy.

So during everyday wear, does this thing bounce around? It seems like it would be impractical.

> Material: Nylon (14%), Polyester (85%), Polyurethane (1%)

It shouldn't be legal to sell products under the name of a dead person (at the very least in cases where there's a strong chance buyers are given the impression that the person had something to do with production of the product).

> a collaboration between ISSEY MIYAKE and Apple

Issey Miyake died 3 years ago. He has not participated in this "collaboration".

Not for me.

But my partner is a fashion designer and was just this morning working through studying 3D knitting technique.

So I wonder if this will lead to more 3D knitted products.

Drug dealers are going to be as upset at their style being stolen by hipsters as sailors were when hipsters decided that tattoo's were cool.

This is the best idea since having a charging port on the bottom of a mouse. Finally, a product we can source from the US completely.

Phone thefts where I live (London, UK) are at an all time high. If ever a product was needed to self identify as a target this has to be it. "See this expensive iPod Sock? It's holding my expensive iPhone"...

[1] [Issey Miyake] was also inspired by fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet's use of geometric calculations and "a single piece of beautiful cloth".

The apple release chose some poor wording / translation in it's description 'Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth”', but that part actually makes _some_ sense in the context of Miyake's designs. I make no such claim about the product as a whole...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issey_Miyake

The people shocked by this are the same people who still believe Apple can sell a normal sized phone but isn’t doing so possibly just to piss us off. The thing is there are millions and millions of suckers out there who will suck these Sock™s and Pocket™s up in possibly dozens - some for the colours and some for the mere satisfaction of getting to pay Apple. If you venture across iForums and iSubs you will slowly start seeing comments about these fabric things are already curing haemorrhoids and insomnia, in anticipation (even before shipping starts).

If this seems like an odd accessory to you, consider that women’s clothing often does not have pockets.

Oh my... I'm just left wondering if Apple releasing a giant sock for your phone equals to the proverbial moment of your taxi driver giving you advice on stocks to buy.

The problem is not that ordinary clothes pockets aren't "designed to fit any iPhone". The problem is many iPhones no longer fit inside many pockets.

For now at least, Apple is still selling to people who wear clothes, and their devices are becoming less compatible with those clothes. This is what a "workaround" or "kludge" looks like in the non-software world, and the consumer gets to pay for it to boot.

Well at least it's multithreaded. :D

I clicked hoping they’re making a small iPhone again like the SE was.

I look around at people with the smaller phone and wish we had a newer model. Whatever happened to this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af0gtsjfy7E

The small iPhone is like the Cadillac Ciel. So many would buy it if they could, but they can’t so they won’t.

I take the pants that have insufficient pockets to a tailor, and ask them to extend the depth of the phone pocket. You can even ask them to do the extension in phone size if you want to restrict its movement in your pocket. On average I've needed about a 3" extension which both restricts lateral phone movement, and also carries it low enough on my thigh that the phone doesn't pinch into my hip when I sit down.

$30 or so later you'll have an integrated Pholster and don't have to carry another thing around with you. For $200 you should be able to update all the pants you have that lack a proper pocket. This is also an incredibly easy thing to sew yourself, by hand, while you watch TV. $30 for a tailor to do the first pair to give you a template to follow, $50 at a craft store will get you some decent scissors, needle, thread, and a yard of whatever material you like. You'll butcher the first pair of pants, but the second, will be better and the third will be perfect.

Finally, Apple have invented the bag.

"3D-knitted"

Do others knit in the 2-dimensional space?

Did anyone else think/hope it was a new actually tiny iPhone?

I built some of the first apps on the App Store. Top twenty navigation app. Won an ADA.

Still, my pocket is my iPhone pocket.

Until they release something the size of the X or smaller, I’m sticking with my iPhone 13 Mini or eventually going for a Razr style Android.

Every year they release something, I go check it out. My love for Apple dies a bit more.

>3d knitted construction

This genuinely has to be a gag.

haha who came here because expecting a mini/small iPhone like the SE? :-D

Pairs well with pieces from the Apple collection https://archive.org/details/apple-collection-1986-1987/page/...

I do not use Apple products so I do not have an opinion about them.

One thing I know is that they are z making beast. The fact that they could sell a monitor stand for ~1000 € and wheels for something I do not remember for I think 200 €, and now this, means that they are genuises.

I never thought this will be a reality but here we are https://scoopertino.com/apple-blasts-into-supermarkets-with-...

"Who is going to buy this?"

I assume the same people who bought the $700 wheels for their computer case.

How about making phone that fits into a normal pocket?

The next product Apple will unveil will be an iPhone case made of human fingernails from those who have tried to climb this K-shaped economic ladder and failed. It'll be a steal at only $500 a pop.

Issey Miyake was the most interesting high end clothing designer, many of his high fashion designs didn’t sync with any trends from other fashion designers, they were instead highly sculptural and informed by art rather than design.

He was interested in fashion enabled by technology, and there is the long standing connection between him and Steve Jobs.

It is okay to dismiss high fashion brands that don’t suit your needs, this is a niche thing that doesn’t appeal to everyone. It makes sense as a part of the Apple product portfolio that is fashion conscious.

Notably: <Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth">

FWIW, the designer behind these also created Job's turtlenecks.

Could this be some sort of joint venture? In other words, is Apple being paid to promote this in some way?

I realize this is a “limited edition” item but it seems to me as being way off brand.

So iPod Socks[0], but with a strap?

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Socks

Every knitter on the planet is simultaneously thinking, "$150 for a rib stitch tube with a slit that I could make a clone of in one sitting? Dang."

I bought iPod socks back in the day and loved them. I used them for more than just my iPod, like my Palm pilot and my digital camera :)

Btw Issey Miyake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issey_Miyake) died in 2022.

This piece of trash likely has nothing to do with the guy, somebody's likely just milking the brand/name as long as it still has some relevance.

Really poor taste from Apple.

This costs almost as much as my Android phone, which (unlike an iPhone) fits easily in the pockets of all of my clothes.

This might be smart. A few thoughts:

1. It gets the camera out of your pocket, which could give your ai assistant more context about what you're doing.

2. The high price tag helps get the word out (e.g. this thread) and invites third parties to compete with cheaper and more practical versions. This makes sense if Apple's goal is #1

Best storage design out of Apple since the iRack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjLEwZqcQI

I wonder if it fits an iBrator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP9Ef_KQTTI

Its all good for Apple cause the more people talk about this and not Apple intelligence, the better for them.

Hey, any of y'all want one in hand-spun, natural-colored wool (as in, as it was shorn from the sheep) yarn?

They could make a small iphone if they wanted to:

https://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-Air,Appl...

Pretty much every other Apple product has appeal to every demographic: young, older, professional, student, all walks of life - as long as you can afford it.

This product has a very narrow and limited target customer base.

I’m not going to walk into the office with my fuchsia Apple sock around my shoulders.

One of the most innovative companies in the world......supposedly.....and they come out with this.

Wait it’s not April?

Amazing that Apple would prominently highlight a product made with 3D knitting, as I’ve just gotten in to machine knitting as a hobby after buying an old Brother KH-910 on eBay and modding with with an AYAB (all yarns are beautiful)[1] open hardware/software knitting machine board from the AYAB discord. I just got a second needle bed for my knitting machine (KR-850 ribber) so I can do double bed jacquard knitting and other more advanced stuff.

But this has also led me down the rabbit hole learning about industrial machine knitting and 3d “wholegarment” knitting, invented by Masahiro Shima first in the 1960’s for autonomous glove knitting and later for entire full size garments in the 1990’s. [2,3,4] That’s what Apple is using in this product (now two companies offer 3D knitting machines according to Wikipedia). In traditional machine knitting you still have to make multiple flat sections and stitch them together, but in 3D Wholegarment knitting the machine is capable of knitting an entire complex garment, bag, utility item, whatever all in one go fully autonomously. Shima Seiki invented a new kind of knitting needle and expanded the system from two needle beds to four to enable the most advanced form of Wholegarment knitting. What I find fascinating about this technology is that it makes it possible to run a garment manufacturing business which is almost fully autonomous, eliminating the need for often poorly treated overseas labor [5], and potentially simplifying business operations dramatically.

The piece linked in [2] talks to an Italian knitting company that was able to keep manufacturing domestic thanks to these machines, and this helps explain how Apple can offer these bags as made in Japan in these volumes. I daydream about getting a used Mach2x and parking it somewhere to make it run 24/7 to make warm garments for the homeless around the Bay Area, perhaps with a low volume boutique fashion brand which helps pay for it. Anyway they’re really neat machines and this has been my little autistic hyperfocus lately, I thought I would share!

[1] https://www.ayab-knitting.com/

[2] https://youtu.be/kZE8rvPYbII

[3] https://www.shimaseiki.com/ire/about/history.html

[4] https://youtu.be/y6wHl0Xtxfw

[5] https://youtu.be/PxFwA-jw3X4

For everyone who is upset about the price tag: this is a wealth-signaling product. Like a Hermès handbag.

Apple is not a luxury brand but it's close enough with some of its products that it can get away with a price like this on a product like that.

I think apple is short on some cash and they are trying to get some quick money. The issue is now you will see this ugly looking “case” all over the streets and especially among women, it might be the next Stanley cup all over again.

First thought this was a parody, joke or something.

Then saw the domain apple.com, can't believe it!

The thrill I had clicking on this link, thinking I was about to see the next evolution of the iPhone mini, an even smaller, minimalist iPhone, only to discover it's just a completely useless novelty product.

I should have known better.

Does it fit an android phone or is it immediately ejected from the pocket with gusto?

The is the ultimate Rincewind accessory - you can put a half-brick in it and wallop people, without having to take off one of your socks. In a pinch you can even just wallop people with your phone, if no bricks are to hand.

You can achieve similar results by throwing your iPhone inside a £1 trail sock...

If only they spent these resources on bringing “slide over” back to iPad in its original form.. :(

This looks kinda lame. I already have a pocket for my phone, it’s my.. pocket. Or I can throw it in any other pouch if I don’t have pockets.

On the bright side, it looks as if you could also use it as a decent slingshot.

Bwuh, I thought they had a new name for a smaller iPhone, but it’s just a bag.

250$ for a sock…

Is this an early April 1 post? 150 bucks for an ugly, impractical sock?

>designed to fit any iPhone

given Apple's track record in the past, this is the first indicator that there will soon be an annual line of iPhones that will not fit in these slings

This is gonna launch first in Taipei (among other stores) and looks a lot like the bags people use to carry their boba tea in here. It's a bit expensive for a drink bag though.

If this is released on April Fools' I would just gig and skip it as a joke. If it is not then I would just think Apple is a stupid money grabbing machine just like EA

I thought it was a parody! Is this really what Apple can do?

I do wish they sold a double-side magsafe that you can put on your shirt/jacket so I can just clip my iPhone on my chest. Pro Max is too big for my pockets.

Aww. I was hoping for a super mini flip or foldable low-power minimalist iPhone, but it's another weird Apple hipster fashion accessory. Very disappointing.

> beautiful way to wear and carry

I strongly disagree with that statement.

They expect me to walk around with my phone in a long sock? A fannypack even looks more appealing.. also, isn’t this a sign that phones are getting too big?

I don't think selling a useless product for ridiculous amount is a problem for Apple. I do think that selling an ugly product is a problem for Apple.

Might just have my mum knit me a custom one.

True story: when I got the iPhone 5 the first case i used was a home made fabric slip. Fashion really does come and go in cycles.

Do your iphones hang low Can you swing them to and fro...

Could this be apple's attempt at testing out the waters on whether their customer base would be interested on a new wearable piece of hardware?

"The design of iPhone Pocket speaks to the bond between iPhone and its user"

I have so much to say about that sentence that I cannot seem to say anything.

Lol it feels like this is their solution to the "phone too big" problem. Anyways, when's the next iPhone Mini???

I do not mean to be crass, but some of the ones that are carrying an iPhone bear more than a passing resemblance to a human vagina.

So phones have gotten so big they nessecitate a whole new type of clothing to carry around.

Maybe, just maybe, the solution is a smaller phone?

Is this a better thing to announce instead of the iPhone Air? I personally think so :) the Air should never have been green lit

I think this should be called the iPhone Borat.

A smaller phone just means you'll spend less time on it. That's not a desirable outcome for anyone except the customer.

They're telling us that iPhones are going to be getting so big, we're going to have to buy it its own custom pocket.

Saw this earlier today and legitimately thought it was satire, especially when I heard the price. Turns out it's real?

I was hoping iPhone Pocket was a new iPhone mini which fits into any pocket, even the ones women have on their clothes.

I'll propose a name for products that are like this, visibly, trash disguised as luxury.

We should call them "balenciaga".

Worst of all is that it's polyester, basically a piece of plastic. I hope this product fails just because of that.

Apple's been heading down the toilet since Cook took over, now they've morphed into a parody of themselves.

This will make theft so much easier as compared to normal trouser pocket. It's more of a style thing I guess.

Instead of redesigning the "pocket" they should just make phones that fit inside regular pockets.

What in the Teenage Engineering is this?

That’s a nice piece of cloth. I would worry about it getting damaged. I wonder if they will sell a case for it.

I actually thought this was an iPhone that fits in my pocket or something sleek, iPod style. This is worse

This feels like a step backwards and if it were released on April 1st would be indistinguishable from a prank.

Well this is a head scratcher for sure.

I would prefer if we flipped it, "Pocket iPhone", and got an iPhone that fit in a normal pocket.

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth”

I thought this was an April fools joke.

At least they put Hong Kong to the top to clarify if it is included or excluded from Greater Chinɑ.

I thought it's a joke and someone made a satire website or something.

The ridiculous part is, people will buy this.

Formerly known as a "purse".

Stylistically it looks like something that goes with a very specific style of clothing and only that.

It’s a thneed!

Saw the link and was looking forward to an iPhone that could actually fit in one hand again, welp.

Reminds me of the thong Borat wears.

Wow, it's not even a parody. The iPhones are so huge and heavy now it needs its own purse.

I was kinda hoping for new HomePods today, if rumors are to be believed, but instead I get this.

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,”

Had to triple-check that this wasn't a parody website.

hilarious seeing so many folk here turning their nose up at spending so much on an accessory from a well known designer brand. Apple devices could be considered by many (particularly outside of Californian circles) as of the same ilk.

My iPhone 12 mini is my iPhone Pocket. Still using it and holding onto it as long as I can.

They could just make a device that fits in a regular pocket. Most phones are too big now.

You'd be better off wearing a cross-body bag that a lot of Japanese men use.

I am looking forward to this being available on taobao/temu for around $5 !

Products like these wouldn't need to exist if we just let women have pockets.

Mental note...be sure to see the final design before I sign the contract.

Wish they would make a modern iPhone that still fit into a pocket, as well.

My prediction this will fail, it's like a target for people to steal

I thought this satire at first.

Steve would have fired everyone involved in this stupidity.

I don't doubt they will sell millions but it looks so absurd

Reminder to self: don't buy fashion items from an IT company.

My god, for that price...

Imagine the cost if it was a pair of pants! Apple pants™

Doubles as the sock outfit for the next Red Hot Chili Peppers tour.

A slingshot, A blind fold, A pocket -- Steve Jobs never said that.

Phone tote bag that goes hard with world's thinnest phone.

Just search them on Taobao, you can get tons of these staff.

Is it usable as a sling? To throw the iPhone in self-defense?

Like many, I was disappointed this wasn't a new iPhone mini.

$30 for a pack of six iPod socks always seemed like a horrible value to me in the mid-2000s. I'm not denying they were fun and whimsical, but as cases, they didn't protect your iPod or allow you to use it while inside them. It felt like a rip-off two decades ago, and these are 30-46 times more expensive per-sock.

I know Apple does things like this to position themselves as a luxury brand and as a shareholder I still do not buy the idea stunts like these are what's best for the company. At best, a small segment of the target demographic will see this as a curiosity at the cost of further damage to Apple's reputation. People will see this as further proof Apple is more concerned with products and services which rip off their customers and developers, as opposed to providing real value.

I will be the first to welcome Apple bringing back some semblance of fun and whimsy into their product line-up, and this is not the way to do it.

iPhones are hefty these days, so it could double as a weapon.

This is actually Apple doing this? What is going on there?

When I saw this I thought it was April 1st for a moment.

Is it April already!?

Is this intended as a serious product? Can’t quite tell

The long strap version is too short on that model. Purse straps hang to hip level for a reason. Hanging at the hip makes reaching in substantially more ergonomic.

Also lmao at the photo of the little bag strapped to the other larger bag. Yo dawg, I heard you like bags.

Also they're super ugly. But I guess that's "subjective".

Immediately reminded me of Borat's Mankini.

Oh! I so wish this was an actual pocket iphone.

Two hundred and thirty American dollars for this?

If you listen closely, you can hear Taps playing.

I can see Apple releasing a pro version at $499

This just screams that Apple has jumped the shark to me. First of all, they're selling a knitted scarf for putting your phone in, which... what?

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth”

Groundbreaking.

> iPhone Pocket in the short strap design retails at $149.95 (U.S.), and the long strap design at $229.95 (U.S.).

Just... good luck, guys.

Dammit, Ali Express doesn't have any yet.

$150 for a sock? Is Apple completely joking?

this reminds me of the little man bags poker players use (a lot of casinos ban full sized backpacks) and not in a good way

From the company that gave us the iPod socks

I hope they release a pro version at $599.

More accurate to call it the iPhone Purse.

Hey guys, you could like just not buy it.

… that’s a sock… Apple made an iSuck!?

From the designers of the $20 deo stick.

It's inspired by a piece of cloth!

Nothing like a $150 or $230 phone bag.

Literally just looks like a cut sock.

Sweet! Pocket and sling - two in one!

wow, that's seriously hilarious

it's so ugly that it shows their desperation, who would ever need this?

I respect Apple.

It takes a lot of skill, talent and dedication to pull out a massive rip-off bullshit like this and have millions of fools buying it.

And the ghost of Steve Jobs Wept...

IPhone 8 Xamsexiis2023gmail.com

I thought this was an april fools.

150 USD for a piece of cloth !

Talk about greedy !

Who is the target group for this?

Sold all my apple shares today

Y'all remember iPod Socks?

April fools came early for 2026

Did a pickpocket design this?

iPhones are now so big we need a special carrying device for it.

Please bring back the mini :’(

XD Who even buy these things

Officially jumped the shark?

April fools? $150 and $230?

Quote: “ Inspired by the concept of ‘a piece of cloth.’” Is this some kind of joke? If it were April 1st I’d assume the whole article is meant for comedic effect.

</NotTheOnion>!

$5 on Aliexpress next week

Wait, Tim is not excited?

I can make a better phone

This is an iPhone Thneed.

This is yet another sign of the K Shaped economy. While I am homeless through no fault of my own, people can buy a $200 sweater pocket for their iphone.

This is an old story, and it does not end well.

I genuinely find it hilarious that everyone has such a strong opinion about a random accessory. Seriously, who cares? Why is it that any company could make any random thing an everyone shrugs their shoulders and either likes it or ignores it but when apple makes something everyone’s knickers get in a twist?

Why do y’all care so much about something you’d just walk past and ignore in literally any other scenario?

Makes me think og Borat.

Apple Mankini by Borat.

Early April Fools joke?

Is it April 1st today?

"Wear an iPhone"... It's increasingly difficult to love this company.

what stops me buying one and using with my Samsung Galaxy?

It’s an iPhone Socket!

Will be a hit in Asia

I’m not trying to be glib here, but this genuinely looks like something a satirical blog might post.

I’m not a product or UI/UX designer but when you have to design a new, ridiculous way to carry a phone your company’s manufacturing and selling, I’d have thought that’s your sign to focus on making it less awkward to carry. “Think different”, indeed.

It's satire.

Wow did they really make it so you can't just pick-up and use the screen?

There are thousands of sub 10$ case strap-attachments which make it easy to both use and not drop your phone while wearing it around your neck.

Imagine milking your phone out of this every time there is a notification... What a joke

Top of the market

Apple is cooked

> iPhone Pocket in the short strap design retails at $149.95 (U.S.), and the long strap design at $229.95 (U.S.).

Really? Lot's of value there...

Like a new OnePlus Nord N30 5G is around $250, and Samsung Galaxy A16 approximately at $200. And Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is between $120 to $160.

An Apple Thneed

Shark jumped.

It’s a sock.

Cringe.

"Crafted in Japan, iPhone Pocket features a singular 3D-knitted construction that is the result of research and development carried out at ISSEY MIYAKE."

How would a 2d knitted construction look like? Lmfao.

hoping for game boy pocket...

Short AAPL

Ew. For some reason it looks absolutely disgusting to me.

Worth $5

OMG

$229.95

is it april-1st already ?

As silly a product as this is, the fact that it made it to the front page of Hacker News makes it a bigger deal than it actually is.

It's not like it's sitting on Apple's frontpage. It's not some major product announcement. To get to the `/newsroom` page where the product was listed, you have to literally scroll to the bottom of https://apple.com and click a tiny link.

I will however comment on the price and utter lack of functionality. This product is utter garbage--a total niche for art goblins (said lovingly).

dear god, this is stupid…

welcome back, iPod socks.

``` Apple Canton Road, Hong Kong

Apple Ginza, Tokyo

Apple Jing’an, Shanghai

Apple Marché Saint-Germain, Paris

Apple Myeongdong, Seoul

Apple Orchard Road, Singapore

Apple Piazza Liberty, Milan

Apple Regent Street, London

Apple SoHo, New York City

Apple Xinyi A13, Taipei ```

Couldn't hack it in Apple Plaza, Kansas City, huh?

For a second, I believed they were launching an iPhone small enough to reasonably fit into a pocket. That might make me switch to iPhone.

Nope

I had to check the address a few times to make sure this isn't a satire page, and I'm still not convinced it isn't

I clicked hoping for a smaller iPhone and I’m very disappointed that it’s just a sock to stuff my current oversized one into

I thought it was an april fools joke. Looking at the price I had to double check. Is this serious? It is ludicrous

The iPhone Pocket is a pocket for your iPhone and not a pocket-sized iPhone??? Unbelievable. So disappointing.

"Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,”"

I had to check that if wasn't April 1st

edit: holy shit, $150 for an iphone sock

Make. A. Smaller. Phone.

Clicked the link hoping it would be a new attempt at something like the iPhone mini. Sadly disappointed!

What a terrible name and the only reason I know it’s not an aprils fool is because it’s November.

Unironically utterly brilliant.

I don't have an iPhone and will not get one at least until Google kills ReVanced, nor would I ever get a sock for my phone but wow, I fully expect this to be hit. Not only in this collaboration, it will spawn a thousand copies as well.

Everything about this is perfect. The Japanese origin, the idea, high tech manufacturing (single cloth, 3d knitted, whatever), the cheap material, the timing... I am in awe. The kind of shock and awe that militaries aim to deliver.

Apple has ingested a million tiny current trends of craftsmanship, story telling, accessorizing, ground them into this magnificent triumph of corporate capitalism. This is why commies never even stood a chance.

iPhonegina

iSock

Pffff... No AI? Who need it? Even my shower gel is AI already.

Please tell me this is an out of season April fools joke...

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,”

This is satire, right?

And yet apple is still priced like a growth company.

> Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,”

Is this satire?

Is this a joke or are they serious with this?

Reminded me of the IKEA floor mat knit lol

Checks date… nope, not April

Apple doing Balenciaga shit

The CookSleeve™

...

I thought this was a joke

Then i was navigated to news.apple.com

Wow.

its literally a pussy to stick your phone in lmao

I honestly thought this was satire at first, maybe April 1st? A joke for sure. Nope, they've given us a pocket.

Is this a joke?

lol 230$ for a sock ..

I was excited when I saw the headline -- I thought Apple had finally brought back a smaller iPhone, like the Mini.

But nope. It's just an ugly phone purse.

Look, it's bad enough that the much-hyped Vision Pro didn't take off (1), and the much-hyped iPhone Air didn't take off (2), and default Apple apps will soon have ads (3), and the latest MacOS is full of issues that would have been caught if they did any QA on it before release (4)... but Tim Apple is also throwing bribes at Trump every chance he gets (5)...

Time for some new leadership at Apple.

(1) https://applemagazine.com/us-vision-pro-sales-expected-to-de...

(2) https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/business/apple-pulls-plug-on-i...

(3) https://www.tuaw.com/2025/10/27/apple-maps-to-introduce-ads-...

(4) https://osxdaily.com/2025/09/19/why-im-holding-off-on-upgrad...

(5) https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaire-apple-ceo-tim-cook...

> "Greater China"

Irredentist pro-war language, Tim Cook? I am so done with Apple. They knew what they did when they chose the words; they certainly spent thousands of hours deliberating them.

This is Lebensraum with Chinese Characteristics.

> "The term is often used to avoid invoking sensitivities over the political status of Taiwan.[16] Contrastingly, it has been used in reference to Chinese irredentism in nationalist contexts, such as the notion that China should reclaim its "lost territories" to create a Greater China.[17][18]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_China

Wow, that's a little tone deaf. I was hoping for a small iPhone, They're so big now we make dedicated bags... F

EAZZY MISTAKE /s

How about no.

Wow Apple is innovative! lmao

LOL. Sorry. really. LOL.

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