When someone talks about Apple many thoughts cross our minds: its excellent iPhones, ecosystem, walled garden, unrivaled Macs, overpriced, versatile iPads, and more. However, beyond the company's popular devices lies an often neglected product, one that very few people will talk about out loud, let alone get anywhere near. Shielded by a $19 price tag, this item is rarely noticed or purchased by anyone with a sane mind.

I'm, of course, talking about the Apple Polishing Cloth. I'm a bit of a misfit here at XDA, disgracefully publishing stories about a fruit company that, unlike my colleagues, contribute nothing toward world peace. However, this changes today. I'm going to detail my experience with the Apple Polishing Cloth, sparing you with the need of going through that on your own.

About this review: I bought an Apple Polishing Cloth last year for individual use. Apple had no input in this article whatsoever.

How it started

It took me several months to come to terms with the fact that I used the Apple Polishing Cloth. I even excluded it from the list of every product I used last year. There's a certain shame that manifests inside your heart when you complete the purchase, and it only grows bigger as the weeks pass. Confessing this publicly is one of the most courageous steps I've ever taken. And it really doesn't help when many other publications have expressed how the product is not worth it.

It all started when I grew tired of keeping my MacBook Air's display clean. In fact, that's one of the reasons I don't want a future of touchscreen MacBooks. These screens are almost impossible to clean, and the more you attempt to rub the smudges off, the worse they get. It's like trying to put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it.

At the time, I had heard legends about the magical Polishing Cloth, which allegedly restores Apple displays to their original, out-of-the-box appearance. They seemed too good to be true, but I had to see for myself. Even if the chances of it working were below 1%, I needed to take the gamble to finally get some sleep on increasingly-restless nights.

When I finally got to my local Apple Store, I couldn't even look the employee in the eye. I just gazed down at the floor in absolute humiliation and softly muttered "Apple Polishing Cloth, please?" to the sales clerk. He did not respond. Instead, he quietly walked away to some inaccessible section of the store and grabbed a unit from a seemingly abandoned storage box. I paid, carried the bag, and swiftly found my way back home, making it one of my most memorable walks of shame.

Apple Polishing Cloth performance impressions

When you first unbox it, you will be greeted by a card mentioning what screens it's compatible with. While the cardboard explicitly states that all Apple displays and surfaces are supported, the company's website lists the actual compatible devices. Shockingly, it doesn't include some older models, such as the iPhone 4S and previous-gen releases. The Cupertino firm is famous for its attention to detail, but these contradicting statements only prove that this might no longer be the case.

To answer the question you might be having right now, following some vigorous testing and research, I can confirm that the Polishing Cloth, indeed, works with older, unlisted Apple devices.

Once you slide the cloth out, you will notice it has four equal sides, making it a square with round corners. Towards the bottom right, you will see an engraved Apple logo, constantly reminding you of the premium price tag you had to pay for this rag. Moving on to its size, I depended on the scientifically-approved Banana Scale, and it appears the Apple Polishing Cloth is the length of one medium-sized banana. This means you won't need to endlessly go back and forth when cleaning a display, as it's large enough to cover plenty of ground with each go. And frankly, it doesn't leave any smudges, dust particles, or marks on the screen. My MacBook's display literally looks like it has been freshly unboxed, something I could never achieve with third-party solutions.

I advise you not to throw its packaging away. It has the Apple logo and the words "Polishing Cloth" printed on it, signifying that this box is indeed for the Apple Polishing Cloth. If you decide to store it in a different box, you won't be able to indicate where your Polishing Cloth is, complicating your life in the process.

Living with Apple's Polishing Cloth

Keeping my purchase a secret wasn't simple. Not only do I have a human flatmate, but my dogs would also give me the look every time I took it out for a display cleaning session. That's not to mention that I had no easy answer when people questioned my unbelievably shiny MacBook screen. "What's your secret?" they would ask me. "How do you maintain its irresistible glow?"

Word got out eventually, and I could sense the judgmental stares whenever pedestrians passed by. They could tell; it was written all over my face, and consequently, I was socially rejected. People cut their ties with me, and I had to live a life of solitude going forward.

Do I regret my purchase? Of course not. This is no ordinary cloth. When you touch it, it quite literally touches you back, providing you with a sense of validation. And as it rids your screens of dust and smudges, you can almost see these displays smiling back at you, particularly when they're off. This is when you realize that the Apple Polishing Cloth isn't a mere item, it's a state of mind.

Once you make peace with it, you learn how to make the most out of it. I'll admit that I've had trouble finding fellow Polishing Cloth owners to build a community with. However, with the pleasant cloth keeping me company and polishing my Apples, I've realized that I can actually survive on my own. (Although, if you are a Polishing Cloth connoisseur, leave a comment below.)

Some might call me an Apple Fanboy for that, but I literally haven't been able to find a cloth as effective as this one. I will even go to the extent of saying that the Polishing Cloth is hands-down Apple's most innovative product released to date.