Apple cuts price of its Polishing Cloth by 10,000 won after years of global ridicule

"Silly Apple cloth." — Elon Musk, on Apple's Polishing Cloth in 2021

Apple's Polishing Cloth earned the title of the company's most absurd product almost the moment it launched, drawing widespread mockery for selling what amounts to an eyeglass wipe for more than 20,000 won ($14). Apple has now quietly cut the price by 10,000 won.

According to industry sources Wednesday, Apple recently refreshed its Polishing Cloth — designed to clean iPhones and other devices — and lowered the price from 25,000 won to 15,000 won. It marks the first price change since the product launched in 2021, roughly five years ago.

The Polishing Cloth sparked controversy worldwide from the moment it went on sale. Charging more than 20,000 won for something resembling a standard eyeglass wipe, Apple drew a torrent of criticism and ridicule from consumers and international media alike.

Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk weighed in at the time, dismissing it as a "silly Apple cloth."

iFixit, a website specializing in electronics teardowns, introduced the cloth as "Apple's thinnest device" and sarcastically noted that the same amount of money could buy a phone-repair screwdriver set, two cleaning bundles, or about eight "slightly less prestigious" cleaning cloths.

The site drove the point home by posting a photo of someone wiping an iPhone with a $20 bill — implying that using the Polishing Cloth was no different from cleaning your phone with cash.

Consumer reactions at home and abroad were equally dismissive. "Would anyone actually pay money for this?" and "I'd sooner buy an eyeglass wipe" were among the common refrains.

Samsung Electronics' German subsidiary seized on the moment, giving away 1,000 polishing cloths for free through its local Samsung Members app shortly after Apple's launch — a move widely seen as a direct marketing jab at Apple's pricing.

Industry observers say Apple's price cut was driven by an awareness of the sustained global backlash the product had generated.

Meanwhile, Apple describes the Polishing Cloth as made from a soft, non-abrasive material safe for all Apple displays, including those with Nano-texture glass. The company lists nearly its entire product lineup as compatible with the cloth.