FineWoven won't be missed, but it should be remembered

AppleInsider

Apple is likely to kill off its FineWoven range of cases and bands when the iPhone 16 launches. Most of you still shouldn't buy them while stocks last, they were at least a valiant attempt to replace leather.

Apple FineWoven case review

It's not a surprise that FineWoven is about to disappear. Perhaps its not even really a surprise that it failed to successfully replace leather.

It is a surprise that Apple didn't spot its failings before it got to a mass, worldwide release.

But rather than criticize Apple for a failed product range, instead recognize and even applaud that it took a big bet. Apple was convinced enough of its need to stop using leather that it went all out.

Every leather product Apple sold was cancelled at the same time, and this new FineWoven alternative was ramped up to mass production. FineWoven is a dense micro twill -- a type of fabric weave -- which Apple claimed has a "suede-like" feel.

Okay, yeah, this FineWoven case really does feel great, but wow, scratching from a finger nail is cringe pic.twitter.com/gTzinmjN5h

-- Into Galaxy (@IntoGalaxyy)

July 19, 2024

AppleInsider

reviewed the first FineWoven iPhone cases and we were clear that we couldn't recommend them. FineWoven cases snagged on pockets, showed stains badly, and for some people the feel of the cases was "like scratching an old 90's windbreaker, in all the worst ways."

There's no but to follow that, no however, and no qualification of any way. The cases, and also the Apple Watch bands, remain just poor, overall.

Even if you liked the feel, and some did, FineWoven accessories practically attract problems.

Consequently, few are going to miss FineWoven accessories. People who do somehow like them should buy now while they still can -- and buy many, many of them because they won't last in any sense.

Still, give Apple credit for trying something new. It didn't work, and the company's reported thousands of hours of testing should have shown this.

But if nothing else, Apple did go hell for leather.



Read on AppleInsider

sflagel

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

DAalseth

sflagel said:

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

That’s my understanding, that most leather is a byproduct from beef and other food production, 

But for those concerned about using leather, Otter makes cases made of what they call Cactus Leather. It’s made from plants, not plastic like FineWoven. Reviews have said it’s much better than Apple’s product. 

hammeroftruth

It was very shortsighted to make products like this without having field tested them and if they did, Apple should be ashamed of themselves for trying to convince the public that finewoven was a suitable alternative to leather. 

Somebody at Apple decided that leather was bad, but a plastic replacement is worse. Especially when they try to hide the flaws in the cases on display by replacing them when they look bad which according to several sites was almost daily. 

Stabitha_Christie

sflagel said:

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

Some animals are raised specifically for leather but the majority of leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. 

But that is a moot point. Apple didn’t move away from leather due  concerns about animal welfare. They moved away from leather because the process of taking a hide and making it into a leather product is environmentally taxing.  There are processes to produce leather that more environmentally friendly but they aren’t scalable and they skew to being more expensive. 

The hides themselves can be used in other ways that aren’t as rough on the environment so it’s not like they are going to waste if they aren’t converted to leather.  

The leather industry itself has been in decline for a decade. There are various reasons for this and the reality is that Apple is just joining the rest of the world in dumping leather. 

Stabitha_Christie

Those FineWoven articles always crack me up. With it being officially September my case is within a few weeks of being a year old and behold! Yeah, it’s underwhelming. It just looks like a case. Appleinsider has been quick to jump on every negative social media post to declare these as some sort of failure but there doesn’t seem to be any first hand experience. Mine is just fine and it isn’t like I treat it gingerly. It’s the first Apple made case that I have gotten that has survived a year. Mind you, I never got a leather one. 

Anyway, I really wonder what the difference in usage is that causes other people’s cases to look so terrible and mine to be perfectly fine. 

mikethemartian

Applaud them? You gotta be kidding. They were just trying to maximize their margins. They didn’t suddenly become vegans.

sflagel

Stabitha_Christie said:

sflagel said:

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

Some animals are raised specifically for leather but the majority of leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. 

But that is a moot point. Apple didn’t move away from leather due  concerns about animal welfare. They moved away from leather because the process of taking a hide and making it into a leather product is environmentally taxing.  There are processes to produce leather that more environmentally friendly but they aren’t scalable and they skew to being more expensive. 

The hides themselves can be used in other ways that aren’t as rough on the environment so it’s not like they are going to waste if they aren’t converted to leather.  

The leather industry itself has been in decline for a decade. There are various reasons for this and the reality is that Apple is just joining the rest of the world in dumping leather. 

You make a good point about the production process, something I did not consider. (Although to be fair, I am not sure if the production and life-cycle of fine-woven plastic bands is better.) As so many things, understanding and taxonomising the full life-cycle is difficult; humanity needs to find a way to price all factors of production: price is the only communication / data transfer that works its way fairly reliably through the value chain.

m4m40

> Still, give Apple credit for trying something new.

yah, I did, literally. They charged my credit card and I got a faulty product in return. 

rickzelinsky@mac.com

I’m disappointed in this. My Apple black woven case on my iPhone 15 Pro Max is the first case I’ve ever been able to keep on the entire first year (since I usually get new phone each year). It’s aged really well and the dings seem to give it character. I’ve had several of Apple’s leather and silicone cases and this is far better. 

Also these comments show how little many people think of animals and their welfare. Animals including cows have friends and families. They have lives that are important to them. All living beings want to be happy and free from suffering just like us. We should all value and respect other living beings and animals’ lives are certainly more important than an iPhone case. Humans can thrive without using animal products and I’m confident and hopeful that more and more humans are developing compassion and doing what they can to minimize the suffering and death we cause to others. Apple: please continue to try to sell products that are kind and not cruel. Leather is cruelty and death. 

Stabitha_Christie

sflagel said:

Stabitha_Christie said:

sflagel said:

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

Some animals are raised specifically for leather but the majority of leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. 

But that is a moot point. Apple didn’t move away from leather due  concerns about animal welfare. They moved away from leather because the process of taking a hide and making it into a leather product is environmentally taxing.  There are processes to produce leather that more environmentally friendly but they aren’t scalable and they skew to being more expensive. 

The hides themselves can be used in other ways that aren’t as rough on the environment so it’s not like they are going to waste if they aren’t converted to leather.  

The leather industry itself has been in decline for a decade. There are various reasons for this and the reality is that Apple is just joining the rest of the world in dumping leather. 

You make a good point about the production process, something I did not consider. (Although to be fair, I am not sure if the production and life-cycle of fine-woven plastic bands is better.) As so many things, understanding and taxonomising the full life-cycle is difficult; humanity needs to find a way to price all factors of production: price is the only communication / data transfer that works its way fairly reliably through the value chain.

FineWoven isn’t plastic, or at least not all plastic. It is made from recycled fabrics formed into a micro-twill. There is a foam core to keep it stiff and some sort of wax or plastic coating on the sides. Apple’s stated purpose for moving to FineWoven was to reduce environmental impact. I’m extending the benefit of doubt here but I’d assume they did the research required with respect to production and lifecycle to make that claim. I guess your insulation is that they were not being truthful?

jfabula1

So animals for human consumtions are BAD, including thier by-products, so we stick w plants?. Now then the next is be kind to plants. 

cpsro

I bought a Fine Woven 2 months ago... and it still looks like new.

DAalseth

Stabitha_Christie said:

sflagel said:

Stabitha_Christie said:

sflagel said:

Am I wrong to believe that animals are not killed for their leather alone? Would it not be better to source real leather, certified to be a by-product only?

Some animals are raised specifically for leather but the majority of leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. 

But that is a moot point. Apple didn’t move away from leather due  concerns about animal welfare. They moved away from leather because the process of taking a hide and making it into a leather product is environmentally taxing.  There are processes to produce leather that more environmentally friendly but they aren’t scalable and they skew to being more expensive. 

The hides themselves can be used in other ways that aren’t as rough on the environment so it’s not like they are going to waste if they aren’t converted to leather.  

The leather industry itself has been in decline for a decade. There are various reasons for this and the reality is that Apple is just joining the rest of the world in dumping leather. 

You make a good point about the production process, something I did not consider. (Although to be fair, I am not sure if the production and life-cycle of fine-woven plastic bands is better.) As so many things, understanding and taxonomising the full life-cycle is difficult; humanity needs to find a way to price all factors of production: price is the only communication / data transfer that works its way fairly reliably through the value chain.

FineWoven isn’t plastic, or at least not all plastic. It is made from recycled fabrics formed into a micro-twill. There is a foam core to keep it stiff and some sort of wax or plastic coating on the sides. Apple’s stated purpose for moving to FineWoven was to reduce environmental impact. I’m extending the benefit of doubt here but I’d assume they did the research required with respect to production and lifecycle to make that claim. I guess your insulation is that they were not being truthful?

Yes it is. It’s made out of recycled fabric and most of that is plastic. iFixIt tried a match test and it melted much like polyester. I also remember shortly after they were released the head of an environmental organization said that they shed microplastics just as bad as all other plastic fabrics. So while the idea was good, like Vegan Leather, it’s just plastic. 

baconstang

I bought a leather case for my brand new 12 mini nearly 4 years ago.
The case looks as good, if not better than when I bought it.  Plus it feels great and has protected my mini these 4 years through drops etc.
I'll be keeping the case and the phone until they release a replacement that fits in my pocket like this one does. 

chasm

As others have pointed out, there is such a thing as "vegan" leather (not produced using animals at all). The "production cost" to the environment is another factor to consider, and I'm not up enough on the difference between the process to make a genuine leather from leftover animal hide or a faux-leather made from plants to be sure that Apple couldn't have chosen the more sensible option to replace the former with the latter.

The whole issue is complicated, but one of the many reasons I choose Apple over some other companies is their strong commitment to minimize their footprint/environmental impact. So I'm glad to see that the company is trying to come up with solutions -- the FineWoven cases I've tried looked and felt pretty good to me, but as others have pointed out they are prone to markings and scuffs that actual leather is more resistant to, and don't age well if you're rough on your iPhones (the reason you probably bought a case in the first place).

Both of my current iPhone cases are made with a silicone-like biopolymer from Pela that can be recycled and are fully compostable, and have proven pretty hard to damage in normal use. I chose Pela because their manufacturing process is also more environmentally-friendly as well. There are several other companies that make eco-conscious iPhone cases, so if you want a case it's worth doing a quick search on environmentally-friendly iPhone case makers and pick one that aligns with your needs.

diman80

cpsro said:

I bought a Fine Woven 2 months ago... and it still looks like new.

You did not take it out of the packaging, right?

diman80

So what is going to replace this garbage in their lineup of iPhone cases?

canucklehead

rickzelinsky@mac.com said:

Leather is cruelty and death. 

As long as humans continue to consume cows/animals (which is likely never going to stop), I see no problem with the use of leather. It's a way to make use of an entire animal, rather than just the meat. I think we need to ban the raising of animals just for leather and to continue pursuing environmentally sound methods of tanning, which are already available. Many tanning methods currently employed create a leather product that is no longer biodegradable, which for obvious reasons, will have a negative environmental impact (not to mention, the chemicals used). However, veg tanned leather is still biodegradable and is the traditional method for tanning. There is no reason why cases can't be made with veg tanned leather.

paisleydisco

LOl ya know Apple Insider has succumbed to being part of the internet of outrage. Cry me a river apple blogger. 

I've owned a Fine Woven case for 9 months and it's been super good. Yes, it does get marked up and scoffed up... ya know... like leather does. Shocking!

But I keep it clean and it has a nice comfortable feel and still looks and feels fantastic.  I hope Apple releases new color schemes for the new iPhones. 

Maybe Apple Insider can revisit the 'outrage' of the Airpod Max case. Gotta keep the clickbait coming. 

mbmoore

FineWoven should be remembered, alright. It should be remembered as another boondoggle by Apple—leather has been used by mankind since the beginning of time and likely for a long time to come. It doesn’t make Apple a moral cut above everyone else for ending its use of leather—it just cost them a lot of money. So did the “100% green/renewable energy” (which isn’t really green OR renewable) initiative. It doesn’t seem to matter much right now, but if Apple continues such practices, they will lose their place as a stock market leader. A company has to stay lean and mean in any business to survive, and Apple isn’t doing so. I certainly don’t have a problem with a company having moral standards, particularly if they aren’t contrived ones, but empty calorie morals will end up bankrupting them.