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Apple will have known Finewoven was a dud for a long time - maybe since before it was even released. They will have been working on a replacement for some time already.
If they're smart, they'll turn this failure into a success and come out with an innovative new case material that no one else is using. But they'll have to be smart, not lazy about it.
 
i dont chide or dislike apple for having tried to move away from leather.

apple, remember, is all about "The Intersection of Technology and Humanity".

trying to come up with an acceptable replacement for leather will be difficult.

what we all (hopefully) can agree on is that something weird happened in their product review process.
to have approved this material for use in cases and keyholders just seemed to be wrong, from the start.
and yet they continued with it and launched it.
probably at least two levels of product managers should be fired, or, at the very least, be forced to repeat a grade or two in the once famous "apple University".
 
I think fake leather cases would’ve been fine if they were sold appropriately priced. Maybe $20. The problem is Apple sold them for the same price real leather cases go for. Apple is great about making a profit, but I think consumers saw right through this
It either needed to be the quality of leather at the leather price or the quality of finewoven at $20. It did neither of those things.
 
Should’ve just used regular vegan fabric / faux leather instead. No reason to wear our tools in murdered organisms, we as a species are already far ahead of Stone Age. Or at least I hope so.
So what else do we do with the skin of the animals we eat? Let it go to waste? This isn’t a vegan argument. I don’t care if you’re vegan. I’m talking waste of the animals that we know will die for food.
 
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No reason to wear our tools in murdered organisms
Sure, but nature doesn’t care about ideology. And last time I check, human lives as part of the nature.
So whats the environmental impact of all these returns/defects/excess inventory no one wants vs had they stuck with leather?
Apple might have done some research on this but decide to never release it to the public because it would crash their PR image.
Or more likely, they just don’t care and highlight a few aspects of an infinitely complex system to trick uninitiated.
 
Is there a general consensus for who makes the best leather case now? I prefer first party and always buy the Apple black leather but assuming that’s not going to be an option when I replace my 12 Pro with a 16 Pro. Just want something clean, not a bunch of gaudy branding and whatnot. Interested to see what they replace FW with too.
 
There are TWO and ONLY TWO materials that are acceptable for car seats. Those are real leather, and high quality cloth. Sadly, nobody is selling cars with high quality cloth seats any more, at least outside of Japan. They used to be everywhere, but the last car I had with them was a '95 Chevy Tahoe. Probably the nicest seats I ever had were in my '83 Toyota Cressida.

The pleather/naugahyde/call it what it really is vinyl seats they're putting in cars now are absolutely horrible.
Millions of car buyers disagree with your opinion. The GMT400 vehicles like the Tahoe you describe had typical (for the time) mouse fur cloth seats.
 
If one is concerned about microplastics to any degree, one has to question how microfiber is an environmental improvement over leather.
AND there is new data implicating microplastics in cancer, depression, hormonal and endocrine problems…PLASTIC is far more environmentally negative and harmful to human health than any natural material. And so-called ā€˜vegan’ ā€˜leather’ tends to be at least 50% plastic.
 
Not going to happen because that would be much more expensive, and it would even be more embarrassing than Apple quietly discontinuing a product.

Also, I wonder what the environmental impact differences between natural leather and whatever plastic Apple used when it comes to manufacturing these cases and their end of life at a landfill. I suspect natural leather would be much more environmentally friendly. I wonder if the plastic Apple used isn’t so bad because they designed it to deteriorate rather than around forever. That could be causing the durability issue, but that’s just speculation on my part. These cases might be just as bad as other plastic items.

I was thinking something along those lines as well. But if Apple really cared about environmental issues, I think they'd stop using the ridiculous boxes they use.


Unfortunately I think the boxes are a large part of the "Apple Experience" and Apple probably doesn't want to get rid of them.
 
Making natural leather requires something like 3 gallons of water per square foot and your using a chemical harsh and strong enough to permanently stop the skin tissue harvested from an animal from decaying.
And what are the true environmental costs from the mining, refinement, ultra-processing, and pollution of petroleum and petroleum based plastics? Water is not our only concern here. And petroleum products are the gift that keeps on giving — causing cancer, endocrine disruption, overall disruption of human health and longevity, and of course, lack biodegrability and breaking into even more dangerous micro-particulates which will likely be proven to cross the blood-brain barrier.
 
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Well, prematurely wearing synthetic cases are bad for the environment, and FW will probably be replaced with a different material, hopefully one which isn't synthetic, so I'm curious how you drew that conclusion.
He's thinking of the toxic chemicals used in tanning leather, man.
 

FineWoven is low quality and overpriced. Same with any plastic, real leather, and fake leather, too expensive but always too low quality for what you pay. However, there is a forgotten perfect phone case material that will last for decades: REAL WOOD! Apple could sell both regular quality wood cases and extra premium Japanese laquered wood cases. Real wood is stylish and timeless, lightweight and portable, extremely durable, looks gorgeous with patina, and is comfortable to hold in your hand.
YES! I bought a wonderful wood and leather case for one of my ipads. There probably are fully wooden, or wood-and-bamboo (or other natural fiber) cases that would make great replacement cases.
 
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the apple ones dont, ive been using them for the past 4 years. Only changed cause I changed my phone. The apple clear case is the only durable case apple makes now imo
But those clear plastic cases feel slimy and gross IMO.
 
FineWoven was a flawed product from the start. All who purchased this product should have the option to get their purchase price refunded, no questions asked. Apple needs to admit when a product is not good and make it right with the customer.
A person has a house built. The builder fails to waterproof the bathroom properly. The owner should have the right to have their purchase price on the house refunded. No questions asked…. Which of course is stupid. You need to think about the context of any such claim.

Q: Does the FineWoven cover still protect the phone after 6 months? Yes. Will it look as good as new in 6 months? No. So why should they get a refund when the primary use is protection. Not once did Apple claim the FineWoven cover will look as good as the leather for as long as the leather.

Very specifically Apple say.

The FineWoven material may show wear over time as the fibres get compressed with normal use. Some scratches may diminish over time. Interaction with MagSafe accessories will leave slight imprints. Learn more about material care here. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use an iPhone 15 Silicone Case or Clear Case.
 
Can people stop using the term 'Vegan Leather'. Its friggin plastic.

A super Quick Look on the Telfar website - the fake leather is 60% Polyurethane, 40% Polyester. FFS.
Most "vegan leather" is not plastic.

Vegan leather can be made from many plant-based fibres, including pineapple leaves (Pinatex), cactus (Desserto leather), cork, mushrooms, coconut husks, kombucha scobies, mango, seaweed and apple peels.
 
Some people seem to be blaming this on the price, others on the quality issues.

I think a third factor could be that Fine Woven was being tested as a possible leather alternative for the interior of the Apple Car. With the car project cancelled, there’s no need to test it anymore, and low sales mean they can replace it with an off-the-shelf material, probably keeping the premium price point for those who find it worth it to go with a first party case.
 
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Most "vegan leather" is not plastic.

Vegan leather can be made from many plant-based fibres, including pineapple leaves (Pinatex), cactus (Desserto leather), cork, mushrooms, coconut husks, kombucha scobies, mango, seaweed and apple peels.
This is cool. Interestingly I just got an ā€œapple leatherā€ (made in part from apple peels) wallet from Oliver Co. London and it’s fantastic. Maybe Apple can pivot to apple and have fun with the marketing.
 
The irony of it all is that this environmental virtue signaling has been decidedly detrimental to the environment. Everyone that wanted a leather case just got theirs elsewhere. Those that were persuaded to try this purchased and either immediately returned or tossed in the trash, resulting in more carbon emissions and waste than if Apple had just stayed in its lane in the first place. Will Apple learn its lesson? Of course not. But wildly amusing to watch.
 
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