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Apple has quietly revamped what is probably the most ridiculed accessory in its product line – and more than halved the price in the process. Instead of €25, it now costs just €10 in Germany. This should silence the mockery of 2021 to some extent.
When Apple introduced the polishing cloth in October 2021, the price was the real cause for outrage: €25 for a single piece of microfiber, plus a delivery time of several weeks. Since then, the cloth has held a permanent place in every collection of overpriced Apple accessories. Now a new version is available in the Apple Store, and on the very day that Apple unveils two new desktops, the Mac mini and Mac Studio, the price of this product has dropped.
Key Facts at a Glance
- The polishing cloth now costs 10 euros in Germany instead of the previous 25 euros.
- In the US, the price drops from $19 to $9.
- Apple continues to describe the material as soft and non-abrasive, also suitable for nanotextured glass.
- The compatibility list includes iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and the Studio displays.
- It is not the same cloth that comes with the Apple Vision Pro.
The price is falling more sharply than in the USA
The relationship between the two markets is interesting. While the US price drops by roughly half, it falls by 60 percent in Germany. The German reduction is therefore the larger one – a rare occurrence, as buyers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH region) usually see price adjustments on the other side.
| Market | Until now | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 25 euros | 10 euros |
| USA | 19 dollars | 9 dollars |
Regarding the material itself, Apple cites the same specifications as before: soft, non-abrasive material, suitable for every Apple display, including those with the nano-texture coating. This last point was already the key selling point in 2021, as nano-texture glass cannot be used with standard cleaning wipes.
Not to be confused with the cloth from the Vision Pro box
A misconception persists: The polishing cloth sold here is not the same as the one included with the Apple Vision Pro. The accessory's compatibility list includes iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, as well as Studio Display, Studio Display XDR, and Pro Display XDR – the Vision Pro is not on that list. Therefore, anyone wanting to clean their headset should continue using the cloth that came with the device and not this one.
For personal use
We've been using the polishing cloth since its introduction, and the ridicule about the price never quite captured its value: it really works as a cloth, it doesn't shed lint, leaves no streaks, and still retains its shape even after years and numerous washes. The criticism has always been about the price, never the product itself – and now it's only half the price of what the internet mocked back in 2021.
At €10, the cloth enters a price range where comparing it to a good eyeglass cleaning cloth is no longer embarrassing. Anyone who owns a device with a nanotexture display has few alternatives anyway.
A curiosity gets a reasonable price
The fact that Apple has revamped this particular product and made it cheaper is the smallest piece of news on a day full of chip announcements – and yet the one that reveals the most about the perception of its product range. The polishing cloth was never a bad product, but rather a poorly priced one. This correction has taken four years.
Did you treat yourself to one for €25 in 2021 – or are you only now getting one when it costs €10? Tell us in the comments how you keep your screens clean.
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