Apple's Leather-Alternative iPhone 15 Cases Said to Have Different Texture

[h00ligan]

it’s an embarrassment and endictment that it took apple ten years to disqualify leather from this one product. Proof positive that apple cares only about what Tim cares about and that animal welfare isn’t part of that. Even now it’s triggered by eco concerns not animal welfare. Embarrassing.

For those if you saying leather is a waste product. Don’t sell the leather means Charge more for the meat. Fewer people buy meat as often. So it’s not cut and dry. And yes everyone should be cut way back on meat now for many many reasons.

That’s before we get into dog leather from china sold as cow leather on Amazon yes, but also by major manufacturers.

If you think animals don’t suffer for leather, you’re wrong.

 

[h00ligan]

The silicone got worse too with the 12 series so I’m not counting on it

Yah I bought one and a giant chunk came out of it about the fourth time I took it off. Never dropped, never abused, used for about 3 months. It’s awful.

 

[nathansz]

it’s an embarrassment and enductment that it took apple ten years to disqualify leather from this one product. Proof positive that apple cares only about what Tim cares about and that animal welfare isn’t part of that. Even now it’s triggered by eco concerns not animal welfare. Embarrassing.

Do we know what’s triggered the decision?

My guess is they found someone to make a different case for 1 or 2 cents a piece cheaper than whoever was making the old ones

 

[MacDaddyPanda]

That's just a waste of leather that's being made anyway. Everyone is not gonna suddenly stop eating meat. So it's stupid to waste the leather that would otherwise come from those food sources. Calling a non leather product vegan is stupid marketing. lol.

 

[iZac]

This is an interesting thread, such a simple change to a phone case that creates such an emotional response to a lot of people.

Oversharing here, but I've been a vegetarian for over two decades and don't try to change or judge my friends and families lifestyle choices, though I was probably more vocal in my youth. The rules and habits people choose are their own and I've always respected that. My own have changed and evolved over the last two decades, but these kinds of personal choices we make are just that, personal. Not governed by law or society but by our own experiences / rules / habits.

A few people I'm less closely connected with would sometimes feel like my personal choice was a judgement on theirs and could get quite defensive. It was always funny that my lifestyle which I don't even consciously think about was sometimes unconscionable to them. Of course there are plenty of people on the other side that take it as a personal mission to save the planet.

My Uncle is a farmer so I know the reality of the slaughterhouse and accept it defines his life and livelihood. I don't think the human species will ever not raise livestock to eat, but I do think in the coming decades that processed meat will be serviced by lab-grown meat and other meat replacements. It will simply be more economical for McDonalds to grow a billion burger patties than take up millions of acres of land and resources to raise cattle for fast food. But the law of economics - this wont be cheaper, it's just a prime steak is going to get way more expensive in 50 years.

Anyway, I'm sorry to the users who are losing a very convenient choice of phone case, but remember everyone is different and choses their own rules to live by, they don't always have to make perfect logical sense. Apple isn't judging anyone for using leather. I mean even the infallible Steve Jobs was vegan but used plenty of leather products!

 

[boswald]

With a name like “Apple,” this should’ve happened a long time ago.

 

[Boardiesboi]

Another pic of the new cases posted on Weibo - You can clearly see the seam between the back material and the plastic edges. The back material looks like woven fabric.

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m.weibo.cn

 

[Sikh]

Its been said many times but I can't believe people are overreacting this much to them removing the leather cases, if true.

But I wanted to point out that not all vegan leather is plastic / includes plastic and process has changed a lot since vegan leather was introduced(gasp I know gasp)

A lot of vegan leather nowadays is starting to be apple leather, mushroom leather, waxed canvas, etc. I expect better from Apple so I see them choosing an alternative material thats truly vegan leather and not synthetic leather (plastic) but we will see.

I hope they do it right and choose a material thats actually quality and not just fallback to synthetic leather with its awful plastics and general bad build quality and feel

 

[zakarhino]

I'm ok with this so long as it's not plastic ""leather"" garbage. I know someone mentioned there's new techniques that don't use plastic but I actually prefer a nice textured fabric over any imitation leather. Leather only feels good if it's very high quality and thick; by definition a slim iPhone case could never deliver on this. Let's see what Apple deliver.

BTW this is following a trend in the car industry where the base interior trims are using leather whereas the optional top tier trim uses a fabric (Range Rover with Kvadrat fabric, BMW i7 with Cashmere knit). I was never a huge fan of the Apple leather cases because they didn't feel luxury (very thin low quality leather + plastic coating to prevent it from wearing out too quickly).

 

[dubiousgif]

The rules and habits people choose are their own and I've always respected that. My own have changed and evolved over the last two decades, but these kinds of personal choices we make are just that, personal.

It’s not a personal choice when it oppresses other sentient beings. What’s there to respect about people inflicting suffering on others when they don’t have to? I do think a lot of people are convinced they need animal products to be healthy though, which is unfortunate.

 

[thejoshuabradshaw]

I like the braided woven textures from Native Union; Spegian, etc. They feel great in the hand.

 

[Sikh]

...whereas the optional top tier trim uses a fabric...

I have always secretly hoped that Apple would take a page from Microsoft and use Cordova for cases. I've had a surface and a type/touch cover for a few generations now and every time I touch it, it feels so nice and smooth. I know initially the fabric was getting stained / ruined easier but the latest iterations have been pretty durable. My launch day SPX's(first gen) type cover has been solid and if anything, the fabric is getting softer in the areas near my palm without looking like **** which I'm all for.

I also know if Apple used Cordova, they would put it through a lot of testing and think things through a lot more than Microsoft originally did. Apple has also been selling high level of units for a long time and know how to test for scale.

Hopefully one day we get a Fabric alternative to Leather thats worth having. I dont care who makes it but I would like a better fabric case than leather and the cheaper fabric cases from on Amazon.

 

[guyberry]

What’s the point of using plastic as vegan leather?
Isn’t plastic more harmful than an actual animal skin to environment?🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[CPx]

I feel like this kind of material/texture will get grimy relatively quickly?

 

[nathansz]

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[nathansz]

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[nathansz]

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[svish]

Expecting similar durability with the new cases

 

[bushman4]

For those that want a leather case other companies will be manufacturing them
Let’s see what Apple has come up with before we pass judgement

 

[skviki]

I don’t understand why people care if vegan leather is plastic or not. What matters is that it feels, lasts and looks just as leather — but without cruelty in the process.

I was waiting for the day Apple would go vegan with its leather case and here it is 🌱

What freaking cruelty? We culture and eat animals and the leather is the byproduct of that.
If anything “vegan leather” (what a idiotic name!!! Seriously!) is worse for environment.
Unless someone is so very extreme that they think we shouldn’t grow animals for food it doesn’t make any sense to introduce a manufactured material for a product with limited use time that will end up contributing to microplastic in the environment problem (which IS more real than our food “problem”).

 

[RealPhone]

Plastics—in particular, microplastics—are among the most pervasive pollutants on the planet, finding their way into the air, water systems and food chains around the world. While the prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well known, as are their negative impacts on marine organisms, few studies have examined the potential health impacts on mammals, prompting University of Rhode Island Professor Jaime Ross's new study.

 

[aibo82]

Prefer leather it just feels nice and looks nicer, these non leather folk moaning about this will be probably be tucking into a nice steak for dinner!

 

[Oberhorst]

"Apple to sell non-leather cases at leather case prices in order to further increase profit margin"

There....FTFY

"Apple to sell non-leather cases to appeal to the woke mind control agenda"

There....FIFY

 

[nathansz]

Unless someone is so very extreme that they think we shouldn’t grow animals for food

I would hardly call that extreme

Maybe in America?

 

[iZac]

It’s not a personal choice when it oppresses other sentient beings. What’s there to respect about people inflicting suffering on others when they don’t have to? I do think a lot of people are convinced they need animal products to be healthy though, which is unfortunate.

Don't get me wrong, I understand. We live in a world of billions of omnivores though and that can't change overnight. Either from people's own personal convictions, or economically - the logistics of replacing all animal products globally (like this iPhone case ) with sustainable alternatives.

But 22 years as a vegetarian and I've seen great progress already. We won't change the world screaming into the wind, but with what food we eat and products we buy. As some mentioned earlier, when there are less people buying leather products, or drinking milk - the price of beef will go up. When the price goes up, the less emotionally invested omnivore will reach for the likely cheaper vegetarian (or lab-grown meat) alternative. Sure they won't have the same worldview as us, but I'll take the win!