Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE are making a wearable iPhone Pocket
Would you wear your iPhone like a fashion accessory or leave it in your pocket? Apple thinks the choice is yours.
Apple is known for sleek devices and minimal design. But its latest collaboration with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE pushes that aesthetic into fashion with the iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted wearable meant to carry your iPhone and a few small essentials.
It's not a case. It's not a bag. It's something in between, designed to be worn cross-body, looped on a bag, or carried by hand. The ribbed open-knit material stretches to fit your phone and can hold AirPods, keys, or lip balm. When stretched, the textile subtly reveals its contents, letting you peek at your screen without removing the device.
Yoshiyuki Miyamae, design director at MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, said the project explores “the joy of wearing an iPhone in your own way.” Meanwhile, Apple’s vice president of Industrial Design, Molly Anderson, added that the collaboration celebrates craftsmanship, simplicity, and delight. But do users really need to wear their iPhone as an accessory, or is this a design experiment in disguise?
The iPhone Pocket was crafted entirely in Japan using ISSEY MIYAKE’s advanced 3D knitting technology, inspired by the brand’s pleated garments. Apple worked closely with MIYAKE’s artisans to make sure it functions as a natural extension of the iPhone experience. Apple adds that the color palette was designed to mix and match with any iPhone and give users a chance to personalize their style.
Starting Friday, November 14, the iPhone Pocket will be available at select Apple Stores and online in France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. It comes in two versions: the Short Strap at $149.95 and the Long Strap at $229.95.
But for that price, it is more likely to appeal to Apple collectors, design enthusiasts, and fashion-minded users than to those seeking practical utility.
The takeaway
The iPhone Pocket blurs the line between tech and fashion. It challenges what an iPhone can be, transforming a device into a wearable statement. Its high price, though, makes it a collectible or style accessory rather than a practical solution.
But it offers a glimpse at Apple experimenting with design in ways the tech space rarely sees. Whether it becomes a must-have or a curiosity depends on how people decide to wear their phones. Plus, with its release timed just ahead of the holidays, it'll be interesting to see how it performs in sales.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
