Apple's FineWoven cases were, to put it nicely, an absolute disaster. While the idea of replacing leather with something more environmentally conscious is a sound idea, the execution just straight up didn't work — and it was all because of the material's poor durability.
FineWoven is now officially done, and this year Apple looks set to try again with something called "TechWoven" cases. Or so says leaker MajinBu.
According to a post on MajinBu's website, TechWoven is designed to "overcome the shortcomings of the controversial FineWoven." Essentially offering all the sustainable benefits, while the new design is said to improve the durability.
The issue with FineWoven was that it started picking up damage almost right away. Tom's Guide UK Editor in Chief Jeff Parsons used a FineWoven case for a week, and spotted a bunch of marks and scuffs from ordinary day-to-day use. Nothing is durable enough to last forever, but everyone agreed that FineWoven shouldn't have been showing so many signs of wear quite so quickly.
According to Bu, TechWoven is designed to offer protection against that kind of daily wear, alongside scratches and other impacts — all while emphasizing "an elegant, minimalist look." Crucially, without removing all the sustainability factors Apple promised back when FineWoven was first announced.
Color options are said to include Black, Brown, Blue, Green and Purple, while the cases themselves will apparently include two lanyard holes, a non-slip texture and MagSafe compatibility.
Whether Apple will be able to live up to those promises remains to be seen. Though, considering FineWoven has been around for two years, and was officially discontinued a year ago, you'd hope Apple engineers have had enough time to get this right. Because it would be super embarrassing otherwise.
My only question is, how much are these cases going to cost? FineWoven cases cost $59 a piece, which was way too much for such a flawed product. But considering things are only getting more expensive, I wouldn't expect any kind of discounts on TechWoven products.
We'll presumably find out for sure at the iPhone 17 launch event next month. In the meantime, be sure to check out our iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max hubs for all the latest news and rumors about the rest of the lineup.
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