It Sure Looks Like FineWoven is Dead

An anonymous reader shares a report: It seems like Apple is already moving on from FineWoven. After introducing the FineWoven brand with a series of very bad cases and accessories last year, it appears as though Apple opted not to release new cases featuring the material for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Apple has stopped offering FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 lineup on its website, too. Apple launched FineWoven, which had a microtwill material, as a replacement for its leather cases. But the cases quickly accumulated visible wear and tear and picked up bits of lint, which could make them look dirty relatively quickly.

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Re:

[tiananmen tank man]

The story is apple doesn't care about the environment, leather and plastic is ok. It was all for show.

Re: Corporation...

[Ossifer]

As far as I can tell, Apple still isn't selling any true leather (animal skin) products. I am really glad for that because it forced me to try Nomad's leather iPhone case which is a far superior product to any ever sold by Apple.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

As far as I can tell, Apple still isn't selling any true leather (animal skin) products. I am really glad for that because it forced me to try Nomad's leather iPhone case which is a far superior product to any ever sold by Apple.

FYI, Tim Cook is a vegetarian. So Apple is under pressure to not involve animal products as much as possible. Sort of like how Tesla offers non-animal pleather to satisfy the vegan crowd as well.

Any you are never obligated to buy Apple accessories. Apple allows third parties to manu

Re:

[thegarbz]

Sort of like how Tesla offers non-animal pleather to satisfy the vegan crowd as well.

Back before Tesla's marketing department we called that "cheap standard seats". Great spinwork there.

Re:

[unami]

definitely, those apple "leather" products were always pretty bad quality. just as "leather" as a Filet-O-Fish is "fish".

Re:

[Narcocide]

I kinda agree on this. These companies need to consult with LEGO on how to make durable plastics.

Re:

[dicobalt]

They know how, they simply refuse to do it because it will make the phone a whopping 2mm thicker.

Re:

[ThosLives]

I wouldn't mind the 2mm if it made the camera bulge not a bulge. Can we go back to the nice flat-backed phones? You can pack a lot of compute/battery in that extra volume too I bet.

Re: what if we just make phones durable?

[50000BTU_barbecue]

I have a cast aluminum case with silicone mold that cradles the phone, it makes it heavy and more likely to damage whatever it falls on than the phone. And the silicone rubber stopper over the USB prevents dirt from accumulating.

Re: what if we just make phones durable?

[drinkypoo]

Phone cases are good. They let you customize your phone very cheaply. I put a ten dollar rugged case and a two dollar screen protector on my moto phone and it is still in spectacular shape. Someone who doesn't need to be able to drop their phone all the time can have less of a case, or no case.

Re:

[EvilSS]

People forget but the 3g and 3gs had plastic backs. Guess what: people put them in cases to keep the plastic from getting scratched up.

Re:

[thegarbz]

To what end? So that phones can look even more the same as every other? One of benefits of a case is that there's many designs to choose from. Last thing I need is repeat of the shit I have at work where everyone is issued the same rugged smartphone that all look identical and are often accidentally misplaced / swapped.

If you want a durable phone, buy one. You're literally saying in your post the market is already serving you.

Re: On sustainable materials...

[drinkypoo]

Actual leather is also renewable and potentially sustainable (depending on the source) and is also potentially compostable depending on the tanning process, unlike any durable plastic. Fabric is a terrible material for a phone case, and many of us called this result when this trash was introduced.

Re:

[kellin]

Its as if nobody put the product through quality control tests to determine if it would actually be better than the current option...

"Finewoven"

[Malay2bowman]

I love how companies try to put an artisan spin on something that is just ordinary mass produced crap, and not even good or acceptable quality at that.

Missed a perfect headline:

[Tablizer]

"FineWoven Has Come Unraveled"