iFixit takes a closer look at Apple's $19 polishing cloth

Posted:
in General Discussion
The repair specialists at iFixit have completed a tongue-in-cheek "teardown" of Apple's thinnest product: its now sold-out $19 polishing cloth.

Credit: Apple
Credit: Apple


Previously a repair component for the Pro Display XDR, Apple made the $19 polishing cloth available for direct purchased earlier in October. It quickly sold out.

In the same vein as the memes that the cloth has inspired, iFixit's inspection and teardown of the accessory is humorous in tone.

"Look at that off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it," iFixit wrote. "Oh, my God. It even has a watermark."

The repair site notes that the material of the cloth feels identical to the inner lining of an iPad Smart Cover, which is made with a think layer of microfiber on the inside. Both materials have "a distinct synthetic leather feel to them with a hint of fuzziness, similar to Alcantara."

Upon "tearing down" the product, iFixit found out that the $19 polishing cloth is actually two separate cloths glued together.

The $19 Apple polishing cloth is, in fact, two cloths glued together. Image courtesy of iFixit
The $19 Apple polishing cloth is, in fact, two cloths glued together. Image courtesy of iFixit


"If you feel a bit underwhelmed by your $19 purchase, pull both layers apart and suddenly you have two cloths, each costing only $9.50," the site wrote.

Going deeper in the material, iFixit examined the cloth under a microscope, which appears to feature intricately woven fibers.

"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," the site writes. "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 microscopic view of a standard polishing cloth (left) and Apple's $19 cloth (right). Image courtesy of iFixit.
A microscopic view of a standard polishing cloth (left) and Apple's $19 cloth (right). Image courtesy of iFixit.


The repair experts rated the polishing cloth a zero out of 10 on its scale, but only for "distracting us from a very important MacBook Pro teardown and not going back together after we cut it into pieces with scissors."

Although Apple's $19 polishing cloth is currently sold out, there are still third-party alternatives available online. They may not have an Apple logo etched on them, but they'll clean your Apple devices just fine.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    American Psycho references… Underused imo. 
    neoncatpatchythepirateTRAGkdupuis77
  • Reply 2 of 6
    neoncatneoncat Posts: 151member
    Wait, glued together? It really *is* an Apple product!  :D
    80s_Apple_Guy
  • Reply 3 of 6
    After reading this I actually want one now. 
    patchythepiratedope_ahmine
  • Reply 4 of 6
    Did they describe it’s magical powers?
    neoncat
  • Reply 5 of 6
    It would have been useful if they had properly analysed the cloth. Composition, density, thread count etc. There are many things we buy that don’t have proper comparable specifications
    get serious
  • Reply 6 of 6
    Skeptical said:
    Did they describe it’s magical powers?
    Rumor has it that it cures cancer... and, per fabricbench testing, if you rub it on bags under the eyes it works 9.3 times better than Plexiderm and 6.2 times better than Botox for all other wrinkles. If you rub it on other fatty areas, you lose 2% of body fat with each use... meaning you could eat a whole pizza and then wipe it away with one swipe. 2 pizzas? 2 Cloths. 3 pizzas? 3 Cloths.

    Seems "must have" to me. ;)  
    edited October 2021 Skeptical
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