Apple has a unique skill, whatever the brand tends to release, people buy! Be it a $19(1,423 INR) Polishing Cloth or anything else, as a matter of fact, the cleaning accessory was such a hit that it is now back-ordered, with the company’s site saying that you will not be able to get it for 10-12 weeks.
One could conclude that it is a premium-quality item, which is why it sold out almost immediately. However, the reason for its popularity was likely due to the fact that it carried the Apple brand name more so than anything else.
Today, iFixit provided us with a clear and in-depth look at why the Apple Polishing Cloth carries such a hefty price tag for a cleaning cloth.
Unlike iFixit’s more intricate disassembly processes of various Apple products, the $19 Polishing cloth has no circuits hidden under its fabric. What separates it from other products similar to its is that it is two pieces of cloth glued together. Whether or not that helps with the cleaning process, iFixit did not specify.
However, the teardown process attempts to up the ante by putting the cloth under a microscope to check out if the $19 price tag is due to Apple’s ability to price its products at any price point the company pleases to, or something else. Following is what the team found:
“Under a microscope, the premium quality of Apple’s polishing cloth comes to life. On the left, you’ll see a plain old cleaning cloth. Boring. On the right? Miniscule fibers intricately woven together, uniting to become not just a tool for cleaning, but an object of beauty worthy of being cleaned itself. Amidst the beauty, a thin line delicately traces the form of mankind’s foundational fruit; an apple.”
A piece of the Polishing Cloth was cur in order to check it under the microscope. Compared to a regular cloth, Apple’s $19 accessory appears to command higher quality, and given how the company gives the same attention to the rest of its products, it is no wonder something as simple as a cleaning cloth can be given this much attention.
To no one’s surprise, iFixit gave the polishing cloth a repairability score of 0 out of 10. I mean, it is a Polishing Cloth after all!
Though you cannot get your hands on it right now, would you consider buying the Apple Polishing Cloth when it becomes available? Let us know!
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