The Apple Vision Pro Travel Case is described by Apple as having “a retractable handle and specially designed compartments for your battery, ZEISS Optical Inserts, Apple Vision Pro Cover, and additional accessories.”
The exterior of the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case uses a material reminiscent of a windbreaker and loosely covers the polycarbonate protective structure. Apple refers to this white covering as “Ripstop,” defined by Wikipedia as “a woven fabric, often made of nylon, using a reinforcing technique that makes it more resistant to tearing and wear.” The case is printed on one side with the words “Apple Vision Pro” in light gray in Apple’s San Francisco font.
The outer retractable handle is light gray and borders the entire upper curve of the case. When not in use, it hugs tightly to the contour of the case.
The interior of the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case is lined with microfiber in a color and texture similar to Apple’s infamous polishing cloth. The Apple Vision Pro fits perfectly in the case and includes a velcro strap to securely hold the battery. A white circular drawstring bag fits in the space in the open area between the front of the headset and the headband.
The Apple Vision Pro Travel Case measures 11.69 inches tall, 8.78 inches high, and 6.5 inches deep.
The Verge offered: “The huge case costs an additional $199 and looks like a marshmallow from space. I love it.” I concur wholeheartedly that the case looks like a marshmallow from space, and add that it would pair well with a NASA or SpaceX spacesuit.
This is a somewhat rare example in my collection of a Beats accessory. Beats has been owned by Apple since 2014 as “a leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine” that primarily sells “premium consumer headphones, earphones, and speakers,” and now—for some reason—iPhone cases that have nothing to do with audio.
Because Beats is owned by Apple, it is no surprise that the cases feature Apple-specific features such as MagSafe and Camera Control (although third-party accessories also include these features).
Somewhat unusually, the Apple and Beats websites describe this product differently. Apple followed a format closer to its other case products with descriptions such as:
“The strong polycarbonate back is complemented by flexible sidewalls to optimize shock absorption, while making the case thin and light. The outer matte finish reduces signs of scratches, smudges, and fingerprints, and the inner microfiber lining gently reduces surface scratches and abrasion.”
Apple also noted that “undergone thousands of hours of testing throughout the design and manufacturing process,” a statement similar to the durability statement on Apple-branded cases.
Apple listed highlights as:
Durable double-shot design
Strong hardshell back
Shock-absorbing sidewalls
Soft microfiber lining
Matte finish
Compatible with MagSafe and Camera Control
On the other hand, the Beats website described the case primarily through videos, pictures, and short text snippets. For example, the text “Scratch & drop protection. Strong hardshell back with shock-absorbing sidewalls,” and a looping 5-second video showing its durability. 11 photos were included on the Beats website, while Apple only featured 6.
This case was offered in four colors: Bedrock Blue, Lime Stone, Pebble Pink, and the color of this example, Granite Gray.
The iPhone 16 Pro Silicone Case was “Designed by Apple to complement iPhone 16 Pro, the Silicone Case with MagSafe is a delightful way to protect your iPhone. Made with a 55 percent recycled silicone material, the case has a silky, soft-touch finish on the exterior that feels great in your hand. And on the inside, there’s a soft microfiber lining for even more protection.”
The case also included MagSafe magnets that extended the functionality of MagSafe built into the iPhone through the case. Apple described the functionality:
“With built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone 16 Pro, this case offers a magical attach experience and faster wireless charging, every time. When it’s time to charge, just leave the case on your iPhone and snap on your MagSafe charger, or set it on your Qi2 or Qi-certified charger.”
Apple named the color of this case “Ultramarine,” one of my favorite colors released by Apple so far. The color is a shade of blue with a hint of violet. Other Fall 2024 Apple accessories in Ultramarine include an iPhone 16 Silicone Case with MagSafe, a Sport Loop for Apple Watch, and a Solo Loop for Apple Watch.
The Leather Case for the iPhone 11 Pro Max was made from “specially tanned and finished European leather, so the outside feels soft to the touch and develops a natural patina over time.” The case included “machined aluminum buttons match the finish of your leather case, while a microfiber lining inside helps protect your iPhone.”
The iPhone 11 Pro Max allowed wireless charging using the Qi charging standard of the time. This leather case was designed to allow wireless charging to pass through the case. (However, the case did not include Apple’s built-in MageSafe wireless charging—it was released a year later along with the iPhone 12.)
This Apple-designed leather sleeve (part number MTEJ2ZM/A) is made for the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. Apple described the sleeve:
“The black Apple Leather Sleeve is designed for the Apple 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. The sleeve is made of European leather with a soft microfiber lining.”
Apple adds that “The design of this sleeve allows you to charge your 15-inch MacBook while keeping it protected.”
On September 12, 2023, Apple announced that they would end “the use of leather across all of its product lines.” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, said: “At Apple, we have a longstanding and proven commitment to leading the fight against climate change. Our focus on renewable energy and low-carbon design has already driven industry-leading emissions reductions, and we’re not slowing down.”
Apple’s fifth “Close Your Rings” employee challenge was held in 2021. According to MacRumors contributor, mikedop, the Close Your Rings Challenge:
“…is an internal challenge hosted by Apple’s Wellness team, which challenges employees to close their Apple Watch activity rings every day for an entire month. The challenge can be won at three different tiers: gold, silver, and bronze… Employees log their fitness in their Apple Watch, and after the month, are shipped a prize if they meet the qualifications. This challenge is offered to all employees within Apple, down to the retail level.”
Successful participants in the 2021 Close Your Rings challenge were sent a set of three microfiber towels that use the colors and designs of Apple’s Activity rings. Each towel is primarily black and has a two-sided tag with the Activity rings on one side and the Apple logo on the other. Each towel features a different design woven into the microfiber: one uses three thin stripes in the colors of the Activity rings along two sides, one uses a “21” design in a unique, triple-stroke font style using the Activity ring colors, and a third towel shows half of the three filled Activity rings.
My collection includes the stripe and “21” designs, but I do not have the half-Activity ring design.
The towels were packaged in a custom white box with the Activity rings printed on top. The towels were created by Sunscope USA under a brand DiLA, Designed in LA (Los Angeles).
The iPhone 13 Pro Silicone Case was “Designed by Apple to complement iPhone 13 Pro, the Silicone Case with MagSafe is a delightful way to protect your iPhone. The silky, soft-touch finish of the silicone exterior feels great in your hand. And on the inside, there’s a soft microfiber lining for even more protection.”
The case also included MagSafe magnets that extended the functionality of MagSafe built into the iPhone through the case. Apple described the functionality:
“With built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone 13 Pro, this case offers a magical attach experience and faster wireless charging, every time. When it’s time to charge, just leave the case on your iPhone and snap on your MagSafe charger, or set it on your Qi-certified charger.”
This iPhone 13 Pro Silicone Case is red and part of Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED line of products. In 2021–2022, Apple changed the (PRODUCT)RED statement to include the support of COVID-19: “Every (PRODUCT)RED purchase contributes equally to the fight to end AIDS and its impact from COVID-19.” Additional information specified that “A portion of the proceeds from every (PRODUCT)RED purchase goes to the Global Fund to fight AIDS with (RED). From now until December 31, 2022, half of those proceeds will go to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the fight to end AIDS.”
For the past few years I have been photographing and cataloging my Apple Collection and posting on this blog. The exercise has allowed me to both showcase and inventory my collection. Occasionally, such as in this case, I discover a detail I’ve neither seen nor heard in another source.
I recently acquired several new Apple Watch bands of different types. Among them, I decided to splurge on my very first (and likely last) Apple Watch Hermès item for my collection—the Apple Watch Hermès 45 mm Navy Single Tour Band. Having never unboxed or photographed an Apple/Hermès product, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Typical Apple Watch bands (and Apple Watch Nike bands) arrive in a white (or black) cardboard box with a detailed illustration on the front showing the band’s design. The box can be opened by pulling the green arrow icon to break the tape seal, and the box opens at the side. A tabbed, folded insert is then slid out, and when unfolded, the band is held in place by die-cut cardboard. Instructions are printed on the cardboard insert for putting the band on an Apple Watch.
A typical Apple Watch Sport Loop cardboard insert.
The Apple Watch Hermès packaging is decidedly more posh. The outside of the box is covered in a clear plastic wrap similar to the wrap on some Apple product boxes (such as the original HomePod and the iPad Pro). The plastic includes a tab with a white arrow to indicate which way to peel off the outer protective layer. Under the plastic, the orange Hermès box is sturdy, heavy, and textured. The lid of the box lifts off, and this is where my surprise began.
Outside and inside the Apple Watch Hermès packaging.
Inside, the Apple Watch Hermès band is not in cardboard, but enrobed in a luxurious microfiber pouch with a familiar texture and configuration. I removed the cloth pouch from the box and opened it to find that one side contained cardboard and paper inserts with information, and the other side was divided in half with each side containing one piece of the watch band.
The luxury microfiber pouch in the Apple Watch Hermès box.
Upon closer inspection, the pouch appears to be made from the same material as the now famous Apple Polishing Cloth, the $19 cloth that enjoyed about a month of media hype in 2021. Apple had begun selling the Polishing Cloth as an accessory and the cloth quickly went out of stock due to apparently high demand. You can read more about this story here. In addition to the similar look and feel of the material, the edge construction of the pouch also appears identical to the Apple Polishing Cloth. While the Apple/Hermès logotype appears to be both embossed and printed with brown ink, the Apple logo on the Apple Polishing Cloth is only embossed.
The Apple Watch Hermès pouch and Apple Polishing Cloth compared.
The colors of the two items are different—the Apple Polishing Cloth is light gray, while the Apple Watch Hermès pouch is a shade of greige (gray+beige). The two materials feel identical to the touch, both in the cloth area and in the more dense edges that are presumably joined by an adhesive and pressure to create a finished look and feel with edges rounded in Bézier curves.
As a result of this unboxing and photo session, I believe that I identified Apple’s signal for their truly high-end products—the presence of Apple’s “luxury microfiber.” See my Apple Watch Hermès band blog entry here. If anyone has additional information about this microfiber material or has seen it used in other Apple products, please contact me!
Post Script: As I suspected, the French-made Apple Watch Hermès Single Tour Band does not fit my American-made wrist. This is far from a tragedy, as I am happy to have this one example for my collection. Just do not expect to see me wearing my Hermès band on the yacht, at the country club, or in the stables.*
*Please note that do not I engage in these activities.
Instead of sending a manual with Mac devices, Apple includes this 2-page brochure that provides a diagram of the ports, power button, camera, basic macOS features, list of accessories, charging instructions for the keyboard and mouse, and URLs to access the online “manual” (iMac Pro Essentials guide) and support. In addition, Apple includes two complimentary Apple logo stickers and a microfiber screen cloth.
The Apple logo stickers that shipped with the iMac Pro—and other “Pro” Mac devices—are black. Other Apple logo stickers are most often white.
All these items are enclosed in a custom white cardboard envelope. The envelope measures 3.75 x 4.5 inches and is approximately 0.1875 inch thick.
