Last night was a big one for Apple fans, with the company "unleashing" (Apple's words) the most advanced MacBook Pro ever, complete with more ports, more power and, erm, a notch. But there's one new product that slipped under the radar, and it's utterly ridiculous.
If you told us last week that Apple was planning to release a $19 cleaning cloth, we'd have assumed it was a joke in the vein of parody product memes such as the Apple water bottle and Apple socks. But nope, this one's real – and the internet is suitably baffled. (In the market for some non-cloth Apple goods? Check out the best Apple deals available now).
Only £19! (Image credit: Apple)
The Apple 'Polishing Cloth' is made of "soft, nonabrasive material" capable of cleaning "any Apple display, including nano-texture glass". And, perhaps most importantly, it also features an Apple logo. At $19, you'd almost hope the cloth was the shape of the logo itself.
Amusingly, the product page contains a list of compatible Apple devices. Spoiler alert: it's long. Yes, the Polishing Cloth works with every Apple product available now. You can clean your iPhone! Your iPad! Your Apple Watch! Your iPod Shuffle (4th Generation)!
Twitter has (as Twitter does) made its feeling known about the new 'device'. "It must be woven from the fabric of our dreams," one user declares, while another adds, "Now that I've spent an eye-watering $3840 on my first ever Mac, I might as well buy the Apple Polishing Cloth for an additional $19 to wipe away these tears." Indeed, with the new MacBook Pro starting at an eye-watering $1999, what's a $19 cloth?
peak capitalism might be this $19 Apple polishing cloth pic.twitter.com/f5vbRwe3fGOctober 18, 2021
What started as a joke may soon turn into reality!Apple launched a $19 dollar cloth to wipe Macs Don't believe me? - https://t.co/r72rv4Ij6YWhat next, this $29.99 bottle of water?This day isn't too far #Apple @tim_cook pic.twitter.com/5P8JTe28NwOctober 19, 2021
Apple has form when it comes to baffling accessories lately. From the hilariously unsightly MagSafe Battery Pack to the damage-prone leather iPhone 12 case, the company has released its fair share of clangers lately. But hey, there's still nothing that holds a candle to Apple's worst design decision ever.
While we aren't exactly in a hurry to snap up Apple's Polishing Cloth (we're pretty sure there's one sitting in our glasses case right now), there were plenty of exciting announcements last night, from that monster MacBook Pro to the arrival of the new AirPods. Don't fancy waiting? Check out today's best Mac deals below.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
