Apple’s $19 Polishing Cloth Supports So Many Devices, Including The iPod Shuffle

Apple’s polishing cloth is the new gold standard for device cleaning

If you really want to buy a new Apple product right now without taking out a line of financing, Apple has released the $19 (£19, AU$29) Polishing Cloth, which has perhaps the most extensive backward-compatibility list in recent memory. If you thought it was amazing that iOS 15 works on 2015’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, how about an Apple product in 2021 that’s endorsed to work on the iPod shuffle from 2012? And on the high end, this cloth also supports the $5,999 Apple Pro Display XDR.

Hopefully you’re already aware that Apple’s Polishing Cloth has wandered into a field full of competition and much cheaper rivals. How cheap, you ask? Well, you can buy a 36-pack of Amazon Basics microfiber cleaning cloths for $18.86, saving 14 cents off the price of a single Apple Polishing Cloth. Apple’s cloth may also take some time before reaching customers — as of this writing, Apple’s store says delivery could take 10 to 12 weeks.

We’ll have to reserve judgment until we actually get to use Apple’s Polishing Cloth. It may very well be the best polishing cloth out there. But if you find yourself at the Apple Store making a purchase, and this accessory is offered, it may be worthwhile to take a second and compare pricing with other vendors.