Apple’s latest must-have isn’t an iPhone, a Mac, or even a pair of AirPods – it’s a fabric sleeve. The new iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition accessory born from a collaboration between Apple’s Design Studio and Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE, quietly launched and almost instantly vanished from shelves. On launch day, the accessory sold out across U.S. 
online and physical Apple Stores, while international stock is reportedly already thinning out. For a product that is essentially a highly designed pouch for your phone, the speed of its sellout says a lot about Apple’s ability to turn even a piece of cloth into a cultural moment.
The iPhone Pocket takes direct inspiration from ISSEY MIYAKE’s famous pleated designs. Apple describes it as a new way to wear the iPhone rather than simply carry it. The sleeve uses a ribbed mesh textile that stretches to hug the iPhone and still has enough give to hold small extras like cards, keys, or earbuds. When the material is pulled, the open-knit structure subtly reveals what’s inside – including just enough of the display so you can peek at notifications without fully removing the phone.
The philosophy behind the accessory is simple but very on-brand for both companies: take the idea of “an extra pocket” and turn it into a minimalist, almost sculptural object. Apple calls it a playful and versatile way to keep your iPhone close, while ISSEY MIYAKE’s influence is clear in the dramatically pleated surface and the way the fabric collapses flat when empty. This isn’t a generic phone sling; it’s deliberately positioned as a piece of wearable design.
Under the fabric story, though, you still have specs and hard numbers. The iPhone Pocket is made of 85% polyester, 14% nylon, and 1% polyurethane, a blend chosen to stretch, recover, and keep its shape over time. There are two strap configurations, each treated as a separate product:
- Short Strap iPhone Pocket – $149.95
Colors: Lemon, Mandarin, Purple, Pink, Peacock, Sapphire, Cinnamon, Black
Dimensions: Height 0.4 in (1 cm), Length 15.8 in (40 cm), Width 2.5 in (6.3 cm) - Long Strap iPhone Pocket – $229.95
Colors: Sapphire, Cinnamon, Black
Dimensions: Height 0.4 in (1 cm), Length 31.5 in (80 cm), Width 2.5 in (6.3 cm)
The price alone sparked plenty of debate even before stock disappeared. Critics joked that the iPhone Pocket looks like something made by cutting up a sock, and visually, the ribbed texture and tubular shape absolutely lean into that comparison. Yet, that hasn’t stopped people from buying it. If anything, the mixture of fashion-collab prestige, Apple branding, and scarcity has amplified demand. Once again, Apple seems to have proven that if it puts its logo on an accessory, there is a loyal audience ready to pay a premium – even for what appears to be a very stylish phone sleeve.
Availability has been deliberately constrained from day one. Apple positioned the iPhone Pocket as a limited-edition collaboration, available only at select flagship stores around the world and via the U.S. online Apple Store. The physical rollout includes some of Apple’s most iconic locations:
- 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
This curated store list reinforces the idea that the iPhone Pocket sits somewhere between tech accessory and fashion collectible. It’s the kind of product you expect to see in the hands of people who think of their phone as part of their outfit, not just a gadget.
Still, the design has prompted some very real-world concerns. Because the Long version is meant to be worn crossbody or around the neck, some users are already pointing out the obvious risk: if your phone is literally hanging off you, a quick-handed thief only has to yank the strap and they’ve grabbed your iPhone – potentially dragging you in the process. It’s the classic tension between aesthetics and practicality. The iPhone Pocket looks sleek, turns your device into an accessory, and solves the “no pockets” problem for certain outfits, but you’re also advertising exactly where your most expensive piece of tech is at all times.
On the other hand, fans argue that this is simply Apple embracing a trend that’s already mainstream. Sling-style phone bags and crossbody pouches have been all over fashion and streetwear for years, especially in urban areas where people want their phones accessible without constantly digging through a bag. The difference here is that Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE have wrapped that trend in a premium design language and limited availability, turning it into an object of desire instead of just a practical solution.
With the accessory selling out on launch day in the U.S., the big unanswered question is whether Apple plans to restock or keep the iPhone Pocket as a one-and-done experiment. Officially, it’s a limited-edition collaboration, but historically Apple hasn’t been quick to walk away from products that sell out this quickly. If demand remains strong and resale prices climb, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see similar wearable iPhone accessories, new colors, or even future fashion partnerships follow in its footsteps.
For now, the iPhone Pocket perfectly captures modern Apple: a company that can turn an idea as simple as “an extra pocket for your phone” into a high-priced, globally coveted design piece – loved by some, mocked by others, but impossible to ignore.
2 comments
price is wild but compared to what ppl pay for designer bags, this is just Apple joining the fashion tax club 🤷🏻♂️
ofc it’s sold out, Apple could sell empty boxes and ppl would line up. pure sheep mode activated 🐑🐑