Accessibility has been one of Apple’s favorite talking points for decades, and this year the company is celebrating 40 years of that work with a rare physical accessory rather than just another software feature. The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand is a MagSafe grip for iPhone created together with designer Bailey Hikawa, and it targets people who find it genuinely hard to keep a phone steady in their hands. 
Instead of chasing fashion colors or yet another slim case, the accessory is aimed at users with reduced muscle strength, tremors, pain or limited dexterity who still want to scroll, take photos and join video calls without worrying about dropping an expensive device.
Because it attaches with MagSafe, the grip simply snaps onto the back of any compatible iPhone and pops off again with a twist, leaving no sticky residue and no extra bulk when you do not need it. Once connected, the sculptural handle folds out into a stand that holds the phone in both portrait and landscape orientation at two viewing angles, whether you are watching a movie, following a recipe, or propping the screen up for hands-free dictation. Apple is positioning it as a pocket-sized piece of modern sculpture, sold in a vivid Chartreuse shade and in a Crater finish that uses recycled materials to underline the sustainability message.
On paper, this sounds like exactly the kind of thoughtful hardware many accessibility advocates have been asking Apple to build. In practice, two details immediately triggered backlash: the words ‘limited edition’ and the price tag. The grip costs $69.95 with free shipping from Apple’s online store, and a lot of people look at it and see little more than magnets molded into rubber or plastic. Commenters are already joking that near-identical accessories will show up on AliExpress for a couple of dollars, just as we have seen with countless other simple MagSafe gadgets.
The criticism does not come out of nowhere. Apple already has a reputation for eyebrow-raising accessories, from outrage over an official polishing cloth, to neck straps and the recent iPhone Pocket, essentially a high-end piece of cloth that can cost well over a hundred dollars. Against that background, asking seventy dollars for a phone grip marketed specifically at disabled users feels uncomfortable to many observers. People who are already burning through savings on medication, therapy and basic care may struggle to afford an iPhone in the first place, never mind an extra sixty-nine ninety-five so they can simply hold it more safely.
To be fair, some users argue that a carefully engineered, tested and supported accessory has real value, especially when it is used every single day and needs to be strong enough to handle tremors and repeated use. A grip that integrates seamlessly with MagSafe, looks like art rather than medical equipment and is covered by Apple’s support network could be life-changing for a small group of people. The tension is that by labeling it as a limited edition collectible and pricing it as a luxury extra, Apple risks turning accessibility into an upsell instead of a baseline. The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand ends up symbolizing the company perfectly: capable of brilliant inclusive design, but still struggling to let go of the premium accessory mindset that keeps the people who need help most on the outside looking in.
2 comments
i usually defend apple on design stuff but 70$ for some magnets in plastic aimed at disabled ppl feels kinda gross ngl
remember that 150 dollar iphone pocket cloth thing, apple really turned disability into a luxury upsell at this point 💀