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Readtime: 4 min
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The new iPhones grab all the attention, but with every new release, Apple drops an unexpected product that cuts through like a hot knife to butter. More often than not, it’s a controversial product, such as their AUD$29 Polishing Cloth or their AUD$1,049 Apple Mac Pro Wheels Kit, that cuts through for the wrong reasons.
Other times, it’s a product that arrives on time, on trend, and with a customer base that simply can’t wait to get their hands on it. That, my friends, is the Apple Crossbody Strap (AUD$99). It was released alongside the new iPhone 17, Watch Series 11, and iPhone Air, and has already been earmarked by many as their next most successful product because of its appeal in Asian markets. Today, we will find out if it’s worth the price tag.
First, a little bit of housekeeping. The Apple Crossbody Strap comes in 10 colours, but at the time of publication, it is only compatible with a select group of iPhone cases. We were also provided with this product for the purposes of this review, but Apple won’t read, see, or hear about this before we publish it. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s look closer at the strap.
Apple Crossbody Strap Key Specifications
Here are some key specs to note before we get into the full review:
- Price: AUD$99
- Colours:
- Neon Yellow
- Light Blue
- Blue
- Purple
- Sienna
- Orange
- Tan
- Green
- Light Grey
- Black
- Dimensions:
- Maximum strap length: 2,080 mm (81.9 inches)
- Minimum strap length: 1,080 mm (42.5 inches)
The Apple Crossbody Strap has a strap and two smaller pieces of hardware that attach the strap to your compatible iPhone case.
With two buttons, it allows you to remove the strap quickly, should you need to. Overall, it feels very high-quality in the hand. Is it worth the AUD$99 price tag? That would be stretching it quite a ways, but I can see why they might be flying off shelves.
There’s not much to unpack when talking about a piece of recycled plastic that holds your iPhone and slips over your body, but as is always the case with Apple products, the devil is in the details.
The brand has clearly spent way too much time engineering this strap, as it’s sturdier than any other crossbody phone strap we’ve ever had the chance to hold. Still, the material feels premium in the hand and over the body, made from 100 per cent recycled PET yarns, which is a fancy way of saying that it’s made from recycled plastic. They’re making luxury car interiors out of this stuff, so don’t be surprised when we tell you that it’s smooth and drapes comfortably across your body.
It’s important to note that you’ll need a compatible case before you even get to that stage. That means getting your wallet out and handing over at least AUD$79 for the iPhone 17 Silicone Case with MagSafe. The case you see in these photos is the new iPhone 17 Pro Max TechWoven Case with MagSafe, and it’s proven to be a comfortable choice so far. Still, we’d probably just opt for the silicone.
The Crossbody Strap currently only works with the new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models when a compatible case is fitted. However, given its popularity, don’t be surprised if it makes its way to other models in the future. If you’ve just picked up a new iPhone 17, check out the Apple website below, should you want to get your hands on one.
Is it worth the circa-$200 price tag? Well, that very much depends on whether you’ll use it every day or not.
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