The iPhone Pocket was mocked and mocked but Apple has sold all of its stuff and now it’s out of stock
Apple’s limited edition iPhone Pocket, designed with Issey Miyake, sold out around the world in minutes. The collaboration blends technological innovation with high fashion, generating both excitement and mockery online.
Apple’s latest launch may not be a gadget, but it’s created the kind of frenzy usually reserved for sneaker drops and luxury handbags. The company’s new iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition wearable pouch designed in collaboration with Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake, sold out both in stores and online within minutes of going on sale. This week, social media was flooded with videos of queues outside Apple’s Soho store in New York, the only US location to stock the product. By the time the doors opened, the crowd was looking less like a tech line and more like fashion week.
And to everyone’s surprise everything was over within a few minutes. Online shoppers fared no better, with “sold out” tags appearing on every color option before breakfast. The accessory, which is priced between $150 (roughly Rs. 12,500) and $230 (roughly Rs. 19,000), a woven iPhone pouch from a company known for silicon chips and glass displays, may seem like an odd flex. But it looks like Apple’s first real change in fashion in years has turned out to be a troublesome one.
Ridicule, memes and commercial success
As many people were rolling their eyes as they were fascinated by the design. Jokes flooded social media, comparing the iPhone Pocket to “a very expensive sock” and calling it Apple’s most “unnecessary invention” to date. Some Reddit users questioned the timing, saying the launch seemed too slow amid the cost-of-living crisis.
For its part, Apple didn’t seem nervous. The company said the pouch is part of a limited edition collaboration celebrating craftsmanship and design innovation. A spokesperson noted its connection to Miyake’s legacy, calling it a “tribute to the designer who shaped Apple’s aesthetic history.”
However, among fashion circles, the ridicule only seemed to fuel its appeal. In true luxury fashion logic, the more people laughed, the more desirable it became. After all, scarcity is the best marketing tool. With limited availability, high prices, and global promotion, the iPhone Pocket quickly joined the ranks of hard-to-find Apple novelties.
Some longtime fans even compared it to the iPod socks of the early 2000s, those colorful knitted covers that became quirky collector’s items over time. For them, this new drop is a nostalgic callback to a more playful Apple, willing to mix technology with design and a sense of humor.
Despite online ridicule, the numbers speak for themselves. The iPhone Pocket is completely sold out, with resellers already listing them at inflated prices. What started as a fashion experiment has turned into another Apple success story, albeit one that literally fits in your pocket.
A high-fashion moment, Apple-style
According to Apple, it is inspired by the concept of “one piece of cloth”, its unique 3D-knitted construction is designed to fit any iPhone as well as all pocketable items. Made using Miyake’s signature 3D-woven fabric, the pouch comes in two styles: a shorter version and a longer version that can be worn crossbody. Each piece embodies the minimalist aesthetic and technical craftsmanship that defines the Miyake label.
The collaboration also has emotional significance, as pointed out by the tech giant. Issey Miyake’s designs are deeply connected to Apple’s past, as he was the designer behind Steve Jobs’ iconic black turtleneck, which became as much a part of Apple’s image as the bitten apple logo.
Apple has deliberately made the product rare. Only ten physical stores worldwide are stocking it, spread across fashion capitals like Tokyo, Paris, Milan, London and New York. This controlled rollout has turned a niche experiment into an instant collector’s item.
