A prominent leaker with a fair-to-midding record for accuracy claims Apple will ditch its much-maligned FineWoven iPhone cases. Instead, the company will release a new alternative that appears to look like leather — perhaps a vegan or faux variety — at the “It’s Glowtime” event Monday.
If Apple replaces FineWoven iPhone cases with something else, other accessories like Apple Watch bands likely will follow.
Apple’s new iPhone 16 cases: The end of FineWoven?
Apple introduced FineWoven cases with the iPhone 15 lineup, replacing leather with what it called an eco-friendly option. Trouble is, most pundits and consumers seem to despise FineWoven because it didn’t approach leather’s premium look and feel. Plus, it scratched and stained too easily. Apple seemed to cut production back in April. And a replacement may arrive today.
Apple will replace the poorly received FineWoven material with what appears to be a vegan or faux leather, according to leaker Majin Bu. On Saturday, he posted images supposedly showing the new case designs that could come out at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event. The pictures showcased a range of colors including blue, green, black, taupe, purple and light gray. The gray is new and the blue and purple seem darker than the FineWoven versions.
It is possible that these will be the colors of the new cases that Apple will make with a material that replaces FineWoven. It seems that the line has remained almost entirely unchanged except for the addition of the gray color pic.twitter.com/lAjlKiIt6y
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) September 7, 2024
FineWoven didn’t live up to Apple’s hype
FineWoven cases, touted as an eco-friendlier option to Apple’s traditional leather offerings, have been a source of disappointment for many users. Complaints center on the cases’ tendency to scratch easily, with the blemishes proving difficult to remove or conceal. Additionally, many describe the FineWove fabric material as a magnet for stains and blemishes.
It seems Apple heard the criticisms. Reports suggest the company already halted production of the FineWoven cases and might discontinue them after Monday’s iPhone 16 event.
Leaker with a mixed record
Majin Bu’s track record on Apple leaks is mixed, correctly predicting some upcoming features while getting others wrong. Regarding this claim that Apple replaces FineWoven iPhone cases, the leaker initially shared two images. But he later retracted one after another user pointed out that it depicted existing knock-off leather cases. That raised questions about the source’s due diligence.
