Apple has officially released a new version of its famous polishing cloth.
Yes, seriously — a new model of a cleaning cloth.
And of course it still costs $25.
But is the new Apple Polishing Cloth actually better, or is this just another classic Apple product people suddenly feel like they need?

Apple Somehow Turned a Cleaning Cloth Into a Luxury Product

If any random company sold a microfiber cloth for $25, nobody would care.
But when Apple does it, suddenly the entire internet starts talking about it.

That is exactly why I wanted to test the new Apple Polishing Cloth.
I already tested the original version before, and the annoying truth was:
it was actually pretty good.

Apple is incredibly good at making simple products feel premium.
Even when you unbox a cleaning cloth, it still feels like an Apple product.
Minimal packaging, high-quality material and of course the subtle Apple logo.

Somehow Apple managed to turn a simple microfiber cloth into a luxury accessory.
And honestly, that alone is kind of impressive.

What Is Different About the New Apple Polishing Cloth?

That was obviously the first thing I wanted to find out.
Apple calls this a new model, so naturally you expect some kind of upgrade.

The strange part is that Apple barely explains what is actually new.
There is almost no information online about the differences between the old and new version.

After comparing both cloths side by side, I noticed one small difference:
the new cloth feels slightly firmer while the old version feels softer and more flexible.

Besides that, they look almost identical.
Same size, same material and the same premium Apple look.

The Cleaning Test: Apple Cloth vs Normal Microfiber Cloth

For the test, I used a realistically dirty family iPad instead of a perfectly clean studio device.
Fingerprints, dust and random marks everywhere — basically the kind of screen most people actually have at home.

Compared to a normal microfiber cloth from Vileda, the Apple Polishing Cloth definitely performs well.
Fingerprints disappear quickly, the display looks clean and there are almost no streaks left behind.

But here comes the important part:

The normal microfiber cloth honestly is not much worse.

Yes, the Apple cloth feels more premium and maybe cleans slightly better,
but the difference is much smaller than you would expect considering the price.

If your goal is simply cleaning your iPhone, iPad or MacBook,
a cheaper microfiber cloth will still do a very good job.

Old Apple Cloth vs New Apple Cloth

The more interesting comparison was old Apple cloth versus new Apple cloth.

And honestly?
I could barely notice a difference.

The new version feels slightly firmer,
but during actual use both cloths clean displays extremely well and feel very similar.

If you already own the old Apple Polishing Cloth,
there is basically no reason to upgrade.

Classic Apple Product Energy

This product perfectly represents Apple as a company.
Rationally speaking, nobody needs a $25 cleaning cloth.
But Apple somehow manages to create products people still want anyway.

And the funny part is:
the cloth is not even bad.

It feels premium, works well and actually fits perfectly into the Apple ecosystem.

If you really want to protect your new iPhone 17,
spending money on a good case probably makes more sense.

On Case Tester you can find detailed reviews and comparisons for:

Is the Apple Polishing Cloth Worth $25?

The honest answer is:
probably only for real Apple fans.

If you simply want a good microfiber cloth,
there are much cheaper alternatives that work almost just as well.

That is exactly what makes this product so absurd.
Apple is not selling some advanced piece of technology here.
At the end of the day, it is still just a cleaning cloth.

But somehow Apple still manages to make people want it.
That is probably why the Apple Polishing Cloth became such a meme online.

And honestly?
If Apple released a rock with an Apple logo on it for $99 tomorrow,
people would probably still buy it.

Final Verdict

The new Apple Polishing Cloth is definitely not a bad product.
It cleans well, feels premium and looks exactly like something Apple would sell.

But if you already own the old version,
you absolutely do not need the new one.

For most people, a normal microfiber cloth is completely enough.

Still, this product perfectly captures the typical Apple feeling:
you know it is overpriced,
you know you probably do not need it,
but somehow you still understand why people buy it.

Apple Polishing Cloth Review: The New $25 Version Tested