Apples Wonder This year’s event was as much about announcing the company’s environmental efforts as it was about new products. One of the major changes the company is making this year is that it will no longer offer leather as a material for any of its products and accessories.
This is a big deal, especially for iPhone users, as leather cases are a hot-selling item and Apple itself, along with many other third parties, has always offered a wide variety of leather iPhone cases and accessories.
So where does this leave us this year? Well, as a replacement, the company has announced its new range of FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro range. We have one with us today, along with the FineWoven wallet, so we decided to take a quick look to see how feels the new material compared to its leather counterpart.
For starters, Apple describes FineWoven as being made of durable micro-twill. A twill, or twill weave, is a type of weaving method for fabric, and a micro-twill uses extremely small microscopic fibers in equally small weft patterns. This material is used for both the outside of the case and the inside as there is no felt lining inside as found on leather cases.
Apple describes the material as similar to suede and that’s accurate. The material simultaneously has a hardened and soft finish. If you run your fingers over the surface you can feel the texture, but the consistency is soft and velvety. It also captures light like velvet, glowing and darkening depending on the angle it reflects.
Macro taken with iPhone 15 Pro
The fabric is not very snug and this could be a problem for some people. The phone in the case can slip out of your hands if the only part in contact is the back. This is where the rubberized sides come into play. They offer more grip and help secure the phone in your hand.
Let’s talk about durability. Leather is a durable material but is not afraid to show the scars of its battles. People like to call it patina and it’s almost a desirable quality that is unique to leather. Unfortunately, other materials do not receive the same preferential treatment, and no one will call FineWoven patina wear patina.
And wear and tear does. After a few passes with a blunt tool, the marks on the material were visible and permanent. No amount of rubbing, washing or patting the material will reverse the permanent reorientation of the woven fibers.
I should note that this is pretty much the worst case scenario. While it’s not something the suitcase won’t encounter in a bag full of accessories or a pocket that also includes keys (please don’t), it’s unlikely to drag with the same force I had to use to make these marks . I also refused to make marks with sharp objects such as blade tips as this is simply an unlikely scenario unless you also carry knives in your bags or pockets.
I couldn’t scratch the material with just my fingernails. Maybe I just have particularly smooth nails, but unless I choose to deliberately dig deep, the nails simply weren’t an issue.
Since the inside of the case is made of the same material, it also has the same level of durability.
The sides of the case are made of a magical material. Even using the same bevel, I couldn’t leave any decent permanent marks on it. The material heals almost instantly after marking and becomes invisible after a few seconds. The buttons on the case are made of metal and you need a very sharp tool to damage them.
What about water damage? Well, it’s a fabric so it soaks into water like there’s no tomorrow. The material darkens, as you would expect, when it gets wet, but only if it absorbs a significant amount of water. A single droplet vanishes almost instantly without any trace of moisture.
It’s worth noting that any water absorption on the outside of the case remains there. No matter how wet the outside of the case is, the inside remains dry since it is not completely fabric.
So we tried scratching and watering. But how does the fire handle the case? Just kidding. This is not that kind of website.
As with other notes on the case, it seems to attract a lot of lint and dust, and due to the rough nature of the surface, they don’t clean easily. Also, the case fits great, which is good, but taking it off was a lot harder than I thought it would be and I wasn’t a fan of the way it pulled on the edges of the phone’s buttons.
The case still has a camera bump, so if you’re not a fan of that, this case won’t help you. The case, however, is very light and relatively thin and doesn’t add much to the size of the phone.
While I haven’t said much about the FineWoven Wallet, it’s actually the same material as the case and performs exactly the same.
In conclusion, I have somewhat mixed feelings about FineWoven accessories. As a material, it’s an interesting and certainly useful addition to the range for those wanting to try something different to the usual leather and silicone options. Furthermore, the reduced environmental impact cannot be underestimated considering the sales volumes of these products. However, I struggle to see this as a good leather substitute because of how different it is.
I assume there is a very deliberate decision behind Apple’s choice to ditch leather without a second thought and not even opt for artificial or vegan leather alternatives. Perhaps the company simply wants to distance itself from matter and everything it symbolizes. But the FineWoven just doesn’t have the premium feel, both physically and psychologically, and so now it feels like just another basic case instead of something special, even though it costs the same as the leather version at $59.
However, there’s a healthy ecosystem of third-party accessories for the iPhone, so if you really want the feel of cowhide under your fingers, you’ll just have to look elsewhere because Apple won’t scratch that itch anymore.
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