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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple has stopped selling leather accessories, and the company claims its "FineWoven" range of iPhone cases and accessories are overall more environmentally friendly. But in the court of public opinion, early reactions to Apple's alternative material choice appear to be trending towards the negative end of the spectrum.

finewoven-case-the-verge.jpg
Image credit: Nilay Patel of The Verge

Apple calls the new fabric option a "luxurious and durable microtwill," and has priced FineWoven iPhone cases at $59, MagSafe Wallets at $59, AirTag holders at $35, and Apple Watch bands at $99.

The quality of the iPhone cases in particular seems to have riled some customers, with several MacRumors forum members stating they have returned the cases. "After holding it in person", said poster inducecurrent, "it feels more like a $10 cheapo case from Amazon rather than Apple-quality, especially at this price point."

"Received and returned," said another forum member. "Felt cheap almost like cardboard." EvanEiga replied: "The case itself is nice IMO, but I'm not sure if the premium cost is worth it. Leather cases felt so much nicer. I am all for mother nature but when it comes to bang for the buck, FineWoven case is just subpar." Most respondents to a MacRumors forum poll thus far seemed to agree.

Positive customer reactions are just as hard to find on Twitter (X). "I've been using Apple's cases for my phones since the iPhone 7," said X user @eggbutspam, "but I've never returned a case so fast like I did with the FineWoven case I preordered last Friday. FineWoven looks like absolute trash."

"Just got mine in the mail," reported one Reddit user. "It's basically like a polyester pillowcase sandwiched in a plastic shell. I don't hate it, but $60 is kind of insulting."

"Same here," replied another Redditor. "The material looks and feels pretty nice, although it's 0% like leather or suede and definitely not worth $60."

finewoven-bands-2023.jpg

Perhaps the most vehement criticism has come from The Verge's Alison Johnson, who called the new iPhone cases "really bad" and described Apple's FineWoven accessory line in general as "categorically terrible."
When I popped the MagSafe wallet out of its box, I could clearly see some places where it was already showing wear along the edges. Little bits of lint immediately caught on the fabric, too. And then there’s the fingernail test.

...When you scratch FineWoven, the results are seemingly permanent. When we first inspected the cases after picking them up at Apple Park, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel picked one up and ran his fingernails across it five times — and that was all it took to leave a trail of indelible scuffs on the fabric. The scratches are still there a week later, no matter how many times I've tried "buffing" it out by rubbing my finger over it.
Considering many iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 customers have yet to pick up their FineWoven accessories, it's too early to conclude that these early adopter opinions reflect a broad consensus, but so far it has not been the best advert for Apple's new FineWoven accessory range. Have you bought one of the new cases or bands? Let us know what you think of them in the comments.

Article Link: 'Categorically Terrible,' and Other Early Reactions to Apple's New FineWoven Accessories
 
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ThomasJL

macrumors 68000
Oct 16, 2008
1,760
3,885
Thankfully, there are numerous third-party case makers, and most of their cases cost much less than Apple's. With that said, I'm glad Apple got rid of leather products. It's rare when I commend Tim Cook for anything, but this is one of those rare occasions. Although I eat meat and do wear leather shoes, I don't think it's right for a computer company like Apple to be selling animal products. It's just another sensitive political issue that is best for the company not to deal with. Selling leather is taking a stand on a potentially political issue, and that can isolate people.
 

Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,347
3,743
Swindon, England
I received my phone case last week and immediately returned it as the quality was terrible. it was already frayed and worn at the corners and it scratched so easily just taking it out of the box. My current apple leather case which I have had for a year is virtually pristine and they want the same price for this new case. Did they not test the durability of these cases before launch.
 

akb

macrumors regular
Feb 16, 2004
121
287
UK
What a misstep this is.

I'm all for getting rid of leather. The problem is that Apple decided they needed something novel to fill that premium price point. They just clearly didn't spend enough R&D effort on what that material should be.

Makes me relieved I accidentally made the right choice over my 15 case. I only picked silicone because I preferred the shade of the Storm Blue case over the FineWoven Pacific Blue.
 
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