Apple launches the iPhone Pocket with 3D-knit design

Apple has also announced the iPhone Pocket, a 3D‑knitted, stretchable carry solution developed in partnership with Issey Miyake that reinvents how you pocket an iPhone without hiding it. It’s as much fashion object as it is functional holder, meant for the folks who need quick access to their phone but also a set of free hands.

And unlike a rigid case or a traditional pouch, the iPhone Pocket is made of pleated textile that expands around the device; you can see its display through the open knit when it’s stretched slightly. The result is a slim, wearable pocket that lands somewhere between a micro-bag and a sling.

What the iPhone Pocket is and how it’s designed

The iPhone Pocket is a simple, soft, ribbed sleeve for your iPhone and some other small items. The fabric takes cues from Issey Miyake’s trademarked pleats — elastic, architectural and sculptural — which means it shapes to the phone without stretching out. Apple calls the textile open and breathable, which is why the display becomes partially visible when taut.

There are two models to choose from: a short-strap version in eight colors designed for close-to-the-body wear, and a long-strap model available in three colors and intended to be worn like a crossbody sling.

Both are deliberately minimal and rely on the textile to do the visual lifting, all while keeping hardware and branding at a minimum.

The Pocket is stylish and can be worn three ways to accommodate travel, work commutes or events where bag checks are inconvenient.

• As a crossbody
• Over the shoulder like a mini-handbag
• Tied onto a tote

It’s also a nod to an overall style swing: the ascendance of micro-bags and phone slings as everyday carry.

Design considerations and practical iPhone Pocket uses

As the knit stretches, you can check notifications without entirely pulling out the phone. That small interaction shift matters. According to Asurion, Americans check their phones hundreds of times a day, so every second here and there starts to make you feel like the Scrooge McDuck of life. The Pocket makes it faster — and for many, easier — to bear the elements than digging a device out of tight jeans or a crowded tote.

That textile is open, not a bug but the feature. It is designed for access and airflow instead of armor. Think of it as a carry layer rather than protection: if you need drop resistance, your case is still doing the heavy lifting. Should safety be a concern, the crossbody and front carry ensure that it’s more visible to you, but less “reachable” for others in crowded places.

Function-wise, it’s great for days when you’re walking around a lot — your commute (hello, living in a subway city), concerts and markets — a pocket that isn’t quite an entire bag is practical. The long-strap version reads sportier and hands-free; the short-strap skews fashion-first, complementing a blazer or coat.

Pricing and availability for Apple’s iPhone Pocket

The iPhone Pocket (short-strap design) is available at $149.95 and the long-strap version by itself retails for $229.95. It will be available to purchase through Apple retail stores and Apple’s online store in select markets, including the US, UK, France, Italy, Greater China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Those price points will make some eyebrows go up — particularly for a knit accessory — but they are consistent with previous fashion-technology tie-ups, as well as the premium positioning of Issey Miyake’s pleated creations.

Where fashion meets technology in Apple’s new accessory

Technology has long been a friend of Issey Miyake’s, from groundbreaking techniques in pleating to 3D knitting and the late designer’s friendship with Steve Jobs and his iconic black turtleneck.

Apple has precedent here as well: Apple Watch Hermès was a reminder that high-fashion partnerships can expose new consumer segments and lend legitimacy to higher prices when the product feels unique.

The Pocket’s 3D-knit approach also mirrors the subtler shift going on in accessories: form factors that prioritize tactility, flexibility and low-profile hardware. Amid squared-off handsets and faceless glass slabs, it presents a gentle counterpoint — textile as interface.

How the iPhone Pocket compares to existing carry options

Lanyard cases, crossbody straps, belt bags — to name some existing solutions — trade in iterated compromises. A case with straps that attach to a phone can also make a handset bulkier on its own. Belt bags add capacity but don’t speed up the process. What’s useful about Apple’s iPhone Pocket is that it divorces the carry from the case, providing convenience without a permanent alteration to how your phone feels in hand.

Brands like Bandolier and Casetify helped popularize the phone-as-bag idea, but they depend on case attachment points and metal hardware. Apple’s is more textile-forward, and possibly even more neutral for most wardrobes, as it will be complemented nicely by people who swap cases or go caseless.

Early questions, durability concerns, and the outlook

There are reasonable questions. How does the knit cope with sweat, rain, or dye from dark jeans rubbing off on it? Will the elasticity last through daily stretching? Apple frames this as a carrying accessory, not a protective shield, so expectations should be what they are: it’s for access and style, rather than ruggedization.

Still, the idea is timely. Now that smartphones have congealed into uniformity of shape and size, they’ve spilled out over the edges into how we carry them. To that, the iPhone Pocket has an Apple-like response: collaborate with a design house famous for turning fabric into structure and turn a necessity into something stylish.

The way the Apple Watch demonstrated how a tech product could be a fashion canvas, the iPhone Pocket may upend our understanding of what a carry can be. You’ll find it at airports, concert arenas and the coffee line — anywhere a pocket you wear beats no pocket.