iPhone luxury "socks" sold out – fakes on AliExpress
Together with Issey Miyake, Apple had revived its iPod socks – as an iPhone pocket for smartphones. They are now sold out, but are being faked.
Issey Miyake? Nope, Fake.
(Image: Screenshot AliExpress)
Around 160 euros for the short version, a good 250 euros for the long one: Apple's iPhone pocket fabric cases, made by a Japanese luxury house, are nevertheless completely sold out worldwide. The product, woven from a single – albeit very long – thread, comes in the typical design of Issey Miyake, a brand that also the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wore in 2011. Apple had previously stated that it would be a "Limited Edition". The company sold the cases, which some observers likened to the old (and much cheaper) iPod socks, only in a few selected stores and in certain regions of the world also online.
Save 159 Euros
Since there is apparently a market for the product, the black market is now also active: various variants have appeared on Alibaba.com and AliExpress, imitating the Issey Miyake material. The images used sometimes look like Apple's, but some also show the "real" fake products. Prices start at around 5 euros, other sellers ask for 12 euros or even 24 euros. However, fakes have also been spotted for as little as 1 euro.
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As with the original, several colors are offered. Particularly brazen: Issey Miyake is mentioned as a brand and is findable via search, and counterfeiters also use the protected term iPhone Pocket. As part of the "AliExpress commitment", it should be possible to receive the product by courier service as early as the beginning of December. One of the companies selling the fakes is based in Dongguan, although it appears to be only a distribution company. A search found at least half a dozen different providers.
Re-knitted in China
Nothing is known about the quality of the fakes. The Issey Miyake brand logo does not seem to be used. It is normal for popular products to be copied quickly – but here the turnaround was particularly short.
In addition, the iPhone pocket cases are not manufactured in China, but are supposed to be "Made in Japan" – so they had to be examined and replicated first. This is much easier with Chinese products, as counterfeiters can then gain access to information from the original factories.
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