Apple Polishing Cloth
The Polishing Cloth is a small piece of off-white microfiber cloth sold by Apple Inc. since October 2021 as a screen-cleaning aid for its devices with displays.[1] It is intended as a replacement for the cloth included with the Pro Display XDR, and can be used to clean products that have a "nano-texture glass" matte-like display option, such as the Apple Studio Display, iMacs, iPads, and MacBooks.[2]
The cloth gained media attention due to its high $19 retail price. The New York Times described its pricing as "bold even by Apple’s standards, a company whose legions of loyal customers are conditioned to stomach steep prices." Nonetheless, it was Apple's most back-ordered product in October 2021, with delivery times of several months. The cloth and its popularity were soon the subject of numerous jokes in the media and on social media.[1] Gizmodo criticized media outlets for excessive reporting on the cloth, saying it was essentially free advertising.[3]
The tech website iFixit disassembled the cloth as part of a tongue-in-cheek product teardown, describing it as being composed of two layers and having "a distinct synthetic leather feel (...) with a hint of fuzziness, similar to Alcantara." The cloth also has the Apple logo embossed in the bottom-right corner.[4]
In August 2026, Apple released an updated version of the Polishing Cloth that cost $9, replacing the older $19 version.[5][6]
See also
[edit]- iPod Socks – Protective knitted case for iPod devices
References
[edit]- 1 2 Wakabayashi, Daisuke (2021-10-29). "Apple's Most Back-Ordered New Product Is Not What You Expect". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Song, Victoria. "Apple Wants You to Pay How Much for a Polishing Cloth?!". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Song, Victoria. "The Apple Polishing Cloth Is Everything Wrong With Society". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Goldheart, Sam (2021-10-30). "2021 MacBook Pro Teardown: A Glimpse at a Better Timeline". iFixit. Archived from the original on 2022-06-11. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ↑ Roth, Emma (2026-08-25). "Apple's 'new' polishing cloth is the same except $10 cheaper". The Verge. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- ↑ Agarwal, Rachit (2026-08-25). "Apple hiked Mac prices, but the new Polishing Cloth will save you a sweet $10". Retrieved 2026-08-25.
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