Decoding the $149.95 Apple iPhone Pocket: Why a “Knit Bag” Costs as Much as a High-Tech Gadget
Introduction: The Latest $149.95 “Flex” from Cupertino
Ladies and gentlemen, please stand up and applaud. Apple, in its relentless thirst for “innovation,” has just blessed the world with another extraordinary creation.
It’s not an M10 chip, nor a foldable iPhone. It is the Apple iPhone Pocket, a… yes, a bag… with a price starting at just $149.95. In a world struggling with inflation, Apple has proven that there is always room for luxury, even if that luxury takes the form of a… knitted sock.
If you are trying to use common logic to understand the $149.95 (nearly 4 million VND) price for something used to… hold another $149,950 thing, then congratulations, you have failed. This is not a product for rational users. This is a “sophistication” test.
This article will decode what Apple and its “accomplice” Issey Miyake have put into this bag to price it on par with a high-end smartwatch or a premium set of noise-canceling headphones.
What Exactly Is It?
Before we get lost in “heritage” and “philosophy,” let’s be blunt. The Apple iPhone Pocket is a small, stretchable bag. That’s it.
But of course, Apple can’t just call it a “knit bag”. They must use the most flowery language to deserve the $149.95 price tag.
- Flowery Name: “Seamless 3D Knit” technology.
- Simple Name: A sock woven on a nice machine, with no seams.
- Flowery Name: “Single recycled polyester yarn”.
- Simple Name: Plastic fabric. But “green” plastic, so you should feel proud of the environment while paying $149.95.
It comes in two versions, because Apple always loves “options”:
- Hanging ($149.95): A short strap. For you to hold in your hand and wonder why you didn’t just put the phone in your pants pocket for speed.
- Shoulder ($169.95): A long strap. For you to wear cross-body, turning your $149,950 phone into a dangerously “dangling” piece of jewelry.
It is not shock-proof. It is not waterproof. It does not charge. It does not have MagSafe. It just… holds.
The “Real” Reason for the $149.95 Price: You’re Paying for “Invisible” Value
If, physically, it’s just a piece of woven fabric, where is the rest of the $149.95? Oh, my friend, it’s in the “invisible” things that only “sophisticated” souls can perceive.
1. The “Heritage” of Steve Jobs’ Turtleneck
This is the trump card. This collaboration is with Issey Miyake, the legendary Japanese brand.
And you know who wore Issey Miyake? Steve Jobs! Yes, this very fashion house designed the legendary black turtleneck for Steve.
The logic is simple:
- Steve Jobs wore Miyake.
- This bag is by Miyake.
- Buy this bag, and you are touching the “heritage” of Steve Jobs.
See? $149.95 is starting to make sense, right? This bag isn’t just polyester; it is woven with “heritage” and the “Apple spirit”.
2. The HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE Label
This product belongs to the HOMME PLISSÉ sub-brand, famous for its pleated techniques. This is a brand where if you have to ask “What is that?”, then you are not their target customer.
By attaching this label, Apple and Miyake are stating: “This is not a tech accessory. This is high fashion.” And in the world of high fashion, price has nothing to do with production cost. It’s about how much you “dare” to price it.
Marketing Genius: Making $59 Suddenly Seem “Cheap”
As a marketer, you have to bow in admiration at this move. The Apple iPhone Pocket $149.95 is a perfect “Price Anchor”.
- Creating the “Sophistication Tax”: Apple has invented a new tax. You don’t just buy the iPhone; you also have to pay a “tax” to prove you are a “stylish,” “knowledgeable” user with “taste”. $149.95 is that tax.
- Elevating the Absurd: When you look at the $149.95 price for a knit bag, Apple’s $59 leather case or $49 silicone case suddenly becomes… magically reasonable. “Oh, at least it protects the phone.” That is a masterful psychological blow.
- Selling a “Role”: Apple doesn’t sell accessories; they sell a “lifestyle”. They are selling you the role of a “Tech Fashionista”. And the entry ticket for this role is $149.95. You aren’t buying a bag; you are buying the right to “flex” that you understand Issey Miyake.
Who Will Pay $149.95 for an iPhone “Sock”?
Don’t kid yourself; this product will “sell out”. The question isn’t “Is it absurd?” but “Who will buy this absurdity?”. This is the target customer profile:
- The Issey Miyake “Devotees”: They already have the pleated pants and pleated shirts. Now they need the “tone-sur-tone” pleated bag. To them, $149.95 for an Issey Miyake item is “cheap”.
- The Apple Collectors: These people have everything Apple makes. They buy it for the “limited edition” factor, because it’s a historic collaboration. They will buy it, put it in a glass cabinet, and admire it.
- The “Hypebeasts”: Those who need something new to “style” (outfit) and take OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) photos. They don’t care about “heritage”; they care about “hype”.
- The… Casually Wealthy: They have $149.95 and don’t know what to do with it. “Looks kind of cool, I’ll buy it”.
Conclusion: Buying a Bag, or a Luxury “Joke”?
Let’s be honest with each other. The Apple iPhone Pocket $149.95 is a phenomenal product. Not technologically, but… audaciously.
It is the pinnacle of turning an unnecessary item into a desirable luxury good. It is a “joke” told by two extremely serious brands, and we are the ones who have to pay to laugh along with them.
If you are looking for something to protect your iPhone, buy a $30 case.
But if you have a spare $149.95 and want to tell the whole world: “I understand Issey Miyake’s philosophy, and I, too, can touch the heritage of Steve Jobs,” then congratulations, Apple created this product specifically for you.
As for us, the rational users, we’ll ask to… put our phones in our pants pockets. It’s free.
