Despite only being announced last September with the new best iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple’s environmentally friendly alternative to leather, FineWoven, could be discontinued.
FineWoven – which was marketed as a faux leather alternative – has apparently fallen flat with consumers. The latest reports show that sales have been less than stellar. In fact, hardly anyone has been buying the new cases.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's retail stores are running low on inventory of FineWoven cases and Apple Watch bands, which usually means one of two things: Apple is either prepping to launch a new lineup (potentially with better taste this time), or they’re discreetly pulling the plug on the whole thing. I’m rooting for the latter.
This isn't the first we've heard about FineWoven cases going away. According to an X Post by known leaker Kosutami earlier this year, FineWoven cases were set to be discontinued due to quality issues. And it looks like that leak has come to fruition.
What's so bad about FineWoven?
As for why the products are supposedly being discontinued, Kosutami says that it’s “since its durability [was] bad”. We can attest to that; in our FineWoven review, we found that the case was “easily scratched”, “gets dirty quickly”, and that the “FineWoven design is so prone to scratches and stains, and the USB-C cutout so narrow, that it’s simply impossible to recommend.” We gave the case two and a half stars, and it did not find a place on our list of best iPhone cases.
There’s no official news from Apple as to the state of its latest case material, and the company wasn’t immediately available for comment. In fact, if you still want to buy a FineWoven case or Apple Watch strap, then you can find them listed on the Apple Store (just maybe not in one). An iPhone 15 Pro case costs $59, while an Apple Watch band will cost as much as $149.
