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Apple’s new $230 “iPhone Pocket” accessory faces online ridicule as critics compare the designer holder to a glorified sock and question the brand’s escalating luxury pricing.
The tech giant’s new sock-like iPhone holder — a collaboration with Issey Miyake — draws backlash over its high price and uncanny resemblance to Apple’s 2004 iPod Socks.
Apple has long been known for turning minimalism into a luxury experience — but its latest accessory launch has left many customers convinced the company has finally gone too far. This week, Apple unveiled the iPhone Pocket, a ribbed, fabric phone holder that instantly triggered shock, memes, and widespread mockery across social media. Priced between $149.95 and $229.95, critics quickly dubbed it nothing more than an overpriced “sock.”
The new accessory, created in collaboration with acclaimed Japanese designer Issey Miyake, was inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,” Apple announced on Tuesday. Designed to function as an additional pocket, the piece features a cross-body strap mechanism and is available in bright colors including lemon yellow, purple, and pink. Apple says the holder can accommodate any iPhone model.
But online reaction was swift — and brutal.
“$230 for a cut up sock. Apple people will pay anything for anything as long as it’s Apple,” one X user wrote, echoing a chorus of incredulous posts. Others compared the design to Sacha Baron Cohen’s infamous yellow Borat “mankini,” while many pointed out its striking similarity to Apple’s discontinued iPod Socks — a set of six cotton sleeves that retailed for just $29 back in 2004.
One commenter noted the dramatic price evolution:
“2025 – an Apple iPhone sock for $230.
2004 – Steve Jobs announced iPod socks, 6 for $29.”
Another user added, “You can buy an Android phone for the price of an iPhone sock.” Indeed, budget-friendly Android models such as the Samsung Galaxy A16 retail well below Apple’s new accessory price point.
The iPhone Pocket will be available starting Friday in select Apple stores — including the flagship SoHo location in Manhattan — as well as online across the US, UK, China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Italy, and France. A shorter strap option retails for $149.95, while the long strap version reaches the full $229.95 price tag.
While Apple frequently sparks debates around the cost of its premium devices and accessories, the iPhone Pocket has hit a new nerve — combining nostalgia, brand loyalty, and sticker shock into a viral moment. Whether it becomes a fashion-forward must-have or remains a cautionary symbol of tech-luxury excess, one thing is clear: Apple has everyone talking.
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