Will the iPhone crossbody strap ever be big in America?
Apple on Tuesday introduced the iPhone Pocket, a 3D-printed, knitted, wearable strap primarily made of polyester and nylon. Designed to be worn across the body, it features a pocket at one end for your iPhone.
Created by the Issey Miyake Design Studio in Tokyo, the strap is another manifestation of the late Miyake’s “a piece of cloth” (A-POC for short) theory of design that involves a single, continuous piece of fabric as its final form. As the knit fabric stretches around the iPhone, you can see your iPhone display; taken as a whole, it’s undoubtedly a beautiful combination of form and function.
What’s less certain is whether it will be popular in the United States.
The crossbody strap around the globe
‘One of Asia’s biggest trends’
In the bustling streets of London, the iPhone strap is a common sight, especially among mothers in the city. Paired with the reality that London is a global hub for cell phone theft, the strap is more than an iPhone accessory. It also has real utility in safeguarding a device that is increasingly the nerve center of modern life.
While the crossbody strap in any form may be too early for American fashion tastes, when the first version of an Apple-branded strap debuted in September, Bloomberg characterized it as a late arrival with this headline: “Apple Finally Joins in on One of Asia’s Biggest Trends With iPhone Crossbody Strap”. A wrist-strap design is also popular in Japan and South Korea.
Who in the world would wear it like a purse[?]
While in other countries, the crossbody strap market is mature—there are guides to the most fashionable models in The Guardian—there seems to be confusion in the US about whom the crossbody strap is for. When Apple introduced one earlier this year, some tech bloggers were befuddled at its reason for existence. Others could understand why it was misunderstood. “Genius or goofy?” wondered a host on the This Week in Tech podcast. On Reddit, representative comments were along the lines of this one, from u/teeger9: “I don’t see myself having my phone anywhere else than my pocket. Who in the world would wear it like a purse[?]”
Bar any other evidence, perhaps the most substantial is the business case: Apple’s decision to sell a knit crossbody strap and partner with an innovative Japanese design studio is maybe the strongest signal of the global popularity of the phone strap. (As is the fact that Apple took the time to issue a press release about the unveiling.) If you don’t want to wear it across your body, Apple suggests tying the iPhone pocket to your bag or holding it in your hand.
The iPhone pocket specs and prices
It goes on sale on November 14
The iPhone pocket, available in its short length, is available in eight colors: lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock (a turquoise), sapphire, cinnamon, and black. In its long length, it comes in sapphire, cinnamon, and black. The short length price is $150, and the long length is $230. It’s made of polyester (85%), nylon (14%), and polyurethane (1%).
The iPhone pocket is a limited-time release and goes on sale on Friday. You can buy it at apple.com if you’re in France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, or the U.S. You can also pick up one in person at Apple stores in Hong Kong, Milan, New York City, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.
Will the iPhone Pocket ignite a wave of enthusiasm for iPhone crossbody straps in the United States? It seems unlikely at this moment, but don’t be surprised if they end up on more than a few holiday wish lists.
Like Oasis, soccer, and sushi before it, American tastes haven’t fully adjusted to the strap idea, but may come around to it in the years ahead.