Apple is making a big push to improve the green credentials of its products, one component of which is phasing out the use of leather in iPhone cases and introducing a new $59 / £59 / $99 FineWoven alternative made from recycled materials. Unfortunately, that case has just been subjected to a scathing review from a prominent Apple reporter.
Wall Street Journal reporter Joanna Stern took to X (formerly Twitter) to show users how her FineWoven case was holding up five months after purchase – and the results are far from impressive.
“Here it is,” said Stern, “Peeling edges, scratches and browning like a rotten banana.” Following up in her Tech Things newsletter, Stern dryly added that “I’ve been waiting for the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] to show up at my house to declare it a biomedical concern.”
After contacting Apple, Stern was told that “the company’s cases are engineered at the highest standard to protect iPhones and that the FineWoven case’s durable microtwill will protect an iPhone for years.” After the experience of Stern and various other members of the public, however, that doesn’t sound too convincing.
A familiar story
This isn't the first time Apple’s FineWoven case has come under fire. Soon after its launch, various news outlets noticed that it was easy to accidentally carve permanent marks and scratches into the case. Social media was flooded with complaints over the perceived lack of durability of the product, and our reviewer was also less than impressed. It all seemed especially galling given the case’s high price tag.
Stern didn’t despair completely. Apple provides instructions on how to clean the FineWoven case, and Stern said that helped to some degree. Yet it did nothing to alleviate the scratches and peeling.
Now, Stern says she has drawn up some new rules that govern how she buys phone cases going forward. They mustn’t cost more than $40, must have MagSafe compatibility, and need to protect her phone’s camera and screen.
Those sound like fair guidelines for anyone thinking about getting a new iPhone case. Using Stern’s parameters, Apple’s FineWoven wouldn’t make the cut – but given its apparent lack of durability, perhaps that’s not a bad thing.
