Apple is back with another limited edition iPhone accessory, this time a far more reasonably priced ergonomic grip that doubles as a stand for disabled users made by designer Bailey Hikawa.
Following the collaboration with a Japanese fashion house to make the iPhone Pocket, Apple has now teamed up with Los Angeles artist Bailey Hikawa. She already makes esoteric stands, grips and cases for the iPhone, and now one of them is in the online Apple Store — but this time with more purpose, and less artistic intention.
The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand effectively requires a MagSafe compatible iPhone, and costs $70. It comes in two colors, either Chartreuse — a vibrant lime — or recycled crater, which is vaguely granite-like.
"The grip was designed through an extensive interview process to support varied ways of holding iPhone while reducing the effort needed to keep it steady," said Hikawa.
Apple says that it was made to commemorate 40 years of accessibility design at the company. Sarah Herrlinger, head of accessibility, has told ELLE Decor that this new grip is "just a great extension of that."
"It was a no-brainer to look at: what are the types of MagSafe accessories that can really be valuable to our communities, as well?" she says. "This is one of many accessories that are out there that solves unique problems for some people. "
The new grip and stand is a large accessory that resembles a portion of a cogwheel. It's made from soft-touch premium silicone, and is intended to work for people with different grip strengths.
More to come
It's the first time Hikawa has designed an iPhone accessory explicitly for accessibility, but she says she intends to do more.
"It changed the course of my work absolutely," says Hikawa. "This is the beginning of many more offerings for all kinds of bodies."
Side view of the new grip and stand, shown here in its granite color — image credit: Apple
"There's this joy that I feel when somebody says that this is helpful, that they can't live without it, that it's comfortable in their hand, that they can't believe that they have never experienced this," she continues. "That joy in itself is so valuable."
The new grip connects onto the iPhone through MagSafe, and so can be added or removed easily.
There's little chance that an iPhone with one of these could fit into a pocket, though. Hikawa says of her very many other designs that "we make phone cases for the hand, not the pocket."
At time of writing, the limited edition stand does not appear to be available in stores. It's also not in the European stores checked so far, but it is available online in the US.
