‘Steve Jobs would never do that’: Netizens brutally troll Apple after iPhone Pocket launch

Apple has launched a new accessory to carry around the iPhone, called the iPhone Pocket. The new accessory has been designed by the company in collaboration with Miyake Design Studio — the firm founded by the late designer Issey Miyake, who is also credited with creating Steve Jobs’ signature black turtlenecks.

Soon after the launch of the iPhone Pocket, the internet was deeply divided between users who saw the accessory as Apple acknowledging its history with pockets, and others who saw it as nothing more than an iPhone sock that comes at an exorbitant price.

Netizens react to iPhone Pocket:

“I hope it will remain compatible with iPhone 18 next year. Can I use the Polishing Cloth on it? Will it need AppleCare+? So many questions!” wrote one user on X, hinting at another infamous Apple product — the Polishing Cloth.

Notably, Apple also offers a Polishing Cloth, which it sells for $19 in the US and around ₹1,800 in India — a high price compared to the many other microfibre cloths available in the market that do the exact same job. The Polishing Cloth has often been joked about in tech circles as an example of Apple’s tendency to charge exorbitant prices in the name of premium products.

“AI is changing the world right now, and what is Apple launching? A completely overpriced iPhone Pocket. Steve Jobs would have never done that,” wrote another user.

Apple has been famously lagging behind the competition in the AI race, with the Cupertino-based tech giant failing to get its Siri revamp going while competitors like Google and Samsung have piled on AI features.

“The Issey Miyake influence explains the texture… and that price tag. It feels like the original iPod Socks just got a runway promotion. $230 is steep for a strap, but the long version is absolutely going to sell out by Friday noon,” wrote another user.

“No one here will understand it, but it’s okay. This will be a very, very popular item for richer Asian office ladies. They love Issey Miyake,” yet another user noted.

Some users also drew comparisons between the iPhone Pocket and the iPod Socks, which were originally presented as a joke by Steve Jobs during one of his presentations but ended up becoming a popular accessory to protect Apple’s iPods from scratches and damage.