Apple has partnered with artist and designer Bailey Hikawa to launch the Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand, a limited-edition MagSafe accessory for iPhone focused on accessibility. Priced at $69.95, it is available now from the Apple Store and Hikawa’s store, incorporating direct input from individuals with disabilities to aid grip and stability.
The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand attaches magnetically to compatible iPhones via MagSafe technology. Constructed from soft-touch silicone, the accessory provides a comfortable surface for handling. It serves dual purposes as a grip for secure holding and a stand for viewing content. Users can position the iPhone horizontally or vertically depending on their needs. Apple offers the product in Brat green or a speckled stone finish. Hikawa’s own store provides additional color options, including blue and a swirly blurple variant, allowing customers to select based on preference.
Development of the grip involved collaboration with people who have disabilities impacting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control. This input ensured the design addresses specific challenges in iPhone use. Hikawa explains that the device aims to support varied ways of holding the iPhone while reducing the effort required to maintain steadiness. On her website, she notes that not every adaptive need can be met with one device, recognizing the diversity of user requirements.
Bailey Hikawa operates a studio in Los Angeles, where she creates chunky, structural phone cases and decorative toilet seats. The Verge profiled her work in 2019, highlighting her innovative approach to everyday objects. In an interview with Elle Decor, Hikawa shared her reaction to user feedback: “There’s this joy that I feel when somebody says that this is helpful, that they can’t live without it, that it’s comfortable in their hand, that they can’t believe that they have never experienced this.” She added, “This is the beginning of many more offerings for all kinds of bodies,” indicating plans for further inclusive designs.
Apple positions the Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand as a milestone in its accessibility efforts, commemorating 40 years of such initiatives at the company. This release follows another accessory collaboration announced the previous week: a knitted crossbody phone case developed with designer Issey Miyake.
