Apple May Not Offer Leather Cases for iPhone 15 Lineup

[pinkkie]

no slaughtered animal to make a nice leather case for my iPhone = no purchase from me

 

[CarAnalogy]

I guess not. It’s “vegan leather” which is a commonly used and understood term for something that is leather-like. Like “oat milk” (not milk, but milk-like) and “peanut” (not a nut, but nut-like).

I think oatmilk is similarly a marketing term so yeah. Peanut pre-dates marketing.

 

[MTD's Mac]

I think oatmilk is similarly a marketing term so yeah. Peanut pre-dates marketing.

Yeah, I have a feeling Apple will define "leather" however its marketing team wants to, i.e. however it thinks it will sell the most products.

 

[Wanted797]

If true, it will be hard to outdo the beautiful patina with older saddle brown leather

I got the golden brown now.

I miss the saddle brown.

 

[twocents]

My first Apple leather case was saddle brown, but unfortunately I just don't have them long enough for them to develop the patina I was hoping for. Even though I've now gone from annual iPhone updates to every two years, its just not long enough for the case to age nicely and there's no chance of the old case fitting the new phone.

Yeah between that and the silicon cases though, the leather still ages better with any scrapes and scratches from daily use

 

[FriendlyMackle]

It’s 2023. No need to wrap our tech in dead animals.



Leather is a multi-million dollar industry relying on approx. 1 billion killed animals annually. Most hides come from the meat industry (and contribute to it by driving meat prices down) but a lot originate from other species (exotic wild animals, horses, even cats and dogs, …).

In countries like China (where most leather comes from), no animals are save and there are no animal welfare laws. Lots of animals are horribly mistreated and skinned alive.

Apple states its leather does come from Europe, but there are countless knockoffs from dubious origin. Apple could definitely set the tone here.

It’s all about driving down demand, if not for animal welfare, than for mitigating climate change (an estimated 14,5% of greenhouse gasses come from livestock).



You need a cow for the case, so your point is moooo.



Apple Leather Cases are plastic cases with a thin layer of skin around it. So it’s not one or the other: you need petroleum for the leather case. And leather is far less natural than you would think. A lot of toxic waste is produced in the tanneries during their production, including Chromium (not the browser, a human carcinogen).

If you correctly dispose of your faux leather products after their life cycle, that point would go to the non-animal version as well.

But yes: a non-petroleum based alternative would be even better

I looked it up myself, because I was curious (I had heard that leather was a byproduct of the meat industry previously in life, and while it seemed like it could be plausible, I hadn't searched further, so I wasn't predisposed to one definitive answer or another): https://ecocult.com/is-leather-truly-a-byproduct-of-the-meat-industry/

I know, I know...I hadn't heard of "ecocult" either before just now, and while an outlet with that name almost certainly contains heavy bias...I encourage everyone interested to not write it off on that basis alone, and fully read the sourcing.

It's only one outlet, so grain of salt...but it's something.

6 to 8% does sound incidental when you consider the other 94 - 92% of the animal. It sounds to me like leather IS a by-product, and and effort (mostly) to use the entire animal.

Regarding leather tanning, production, all of that has historically been a ‘dirty’ and difficult series of processes, and generally using toxic chemicals. That’s not to say that we are unable to create cleaner manufacturing tech, using non-toxic agents, and fewer resources.

As with everything related to the environment, the public — people — must have the willingness to demand change. Businesses will not reform themselves as long as their products sell as they make them now. With materials produced in whatever (possibly horrific) manner they are sourced. Is it even possible to identify the source of leather in most products? I doubt it, unless you’re speaking of couture level or similar production, where such things are identified.

But, back to plastics…as they exist now, they are sourced from a thoroughly toxic industry, sourced from countries with non-existent human rights and disregard for human life (looking at the countries who consider the West to be ’decadent’). People forget—people—humans(!) are animals too. What about OUR welfare? Have you considered how many people’s lives have been ruined by cancer, birth defects, life spans shortened by DECADES, all due to our petrochemical industries? The data is out there.

 

[nathansz]

6 to 8% does sound incidental when you consider the other 94 - 92% of the animal. It sounds to me like leather IS a by-product, and and effort (mostly) to use the entire animal.

Regarding leather tanning, production, all of that has historically been a ‘dirty’ and difficult series of processes, and generally using toxic chemicals. That’s not to say that we are unable to create cleaner manufacturing tech, using non-toxic agents, and fewer resources.

As with everything related to the environment, the public — people — must have the willingness to demand change. Businesses will not reform themselves as long as their products sell as they make them now. With materials produced in whatever (possibly horrific) manner they are sourced. Is it even possible to identify the source of leather in most products? I doubt it, unless you’re speaking of couture level or similar production, where such things are identified.

But, back to plastics…as they exist now, they are sourced from a thoroughly toxic industry, sourced from countries with non-existent human rights and disregard for human life (looking at the countries who consider the West to be ’decadent’). People forget—people—humans(!) are animals too. What about OUR welfare? Have you considered how many people’s lives have been ruined by cancer, birth defects, life spans shortened by DECADES, all due to our petrochemical industries? The data is out there.

Yes petroleum products are bad, ethically and environmentally.

Yes animal products are bad, ethically and environmentally.

We should be moving away from both

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I completely agree with you about recycling. I would call it an almost complete disappointment too.

A little perspective, I was legal counsel to a medium size city, and I've seen first hand the actual recycling and cost of doing so. Couple that with most people not knowing what is actually recyclable, its a burden on both the individual and the cities, towns, municipalities, etc. I like the idea or recycling but the plastic recycling just doesn't seem to work.

As a purely anecdotal example, my father was meticulous about recycling. As with everything he does, he takes it to the extreme.

Anything that contained plastic or paper would go in the recycling bin. We had many conversations about how this is not the right way to do it. I had to get literature from the town and show him how little of what he is doing is actually considered a recyclable product. AND, that he is doing more harm by mixing that stuff with products that are actually considered recyclable.

Some places will fine you for improper recycling. NYC will fine you if you put pizza boxes in the paper recycling. My ex-GF learned that the hard way when her thick skulled cousin refused to throw out the oil stained pizza boxes, to the tune of $25 dollar fines a few times a month. 🥲

I never liked animal milk. The whole idea was weird to me. Couple that with the antibiotics and hormones given to the animals that pass through into the milk. No Thank You!

I find nut "milks" suitable for my needs. An occasional bowl of cereal or into a smoothie. I agree that it doesn't substitute protein unless its pea or soy milk.


Sustainability should be at the forefront of everyone's mind on this population growing planet. But that doesn't mean the same thing to everyone and that's OK. However, it should be true and not a sales gimmick.

I’m very much in agreement with all that you’ve said! I live in NYC, and yes, the recycling rules are counterintuitive to a simple ‘paper, plastic, garbage’ sorting. In their own rules, they specifically say that ‘soiled’ (with food) paper products may be recycled…but only if less than 10% of the paper is contaminated with food (that’s my recollection). Right! And it does feel ‘wrong’ to place cardboard in the garbage container, even though that’s what it is.

I always liked animal milk, I have no problem with these milks as long as they are naturally produced from animals who live good lives with fresh air and sunlight, and eat fresh grasses rather than manufactured garbage ‘feed’ produced by the Monsanto’s of the world. But…those kinds of milk are quite expensive, and I have always believed that for the most part legume-milks (soy, pea), nut-milks (almond, cashew), and if necessary, fortified with soy or pea protein, are delicious and nutritious. It was actually the meat and dairy industries that funded ‘studies’ to produce misinformation that soy was estrogenic or unhealthy. I am getting off topic…sorry!

 

[FriendlyMackle]

They absolutely can be. We have so much petroleum based material already that it can simply be reused.

Leather substitutes can also be made from plant based materials which is one step less than turning plants in to animals first

See, that’s a big part of the problem, that people BELIEVE it is truly possible to resolve our plastics problem through recycling. It is too expensive, AND the recycled plastics are inferior to newly manufactured plastics. Plus, new plastics are CHEAPER than the lower-quality recycled stuff! We — the world — were sold a bridge to nowhere when the petrochem industries funded the PR campaign and efforts to encourage recycling.

Yes, also, we could make plastic/synthetics from bio-materials, but again, they will be much more expensive, less durable (at least initially) and simply because these are experimental, not of the same quality as the petroleum-based materials. So businesses and consumers will keep making the same environmentally destructive choices.

Until we actually charge these industrial waste producers (oil/petrochem) with the costs that their products create, this will continue. They have no intention of sacrificing their fortunes by abandoning ANY of the oil still buried under the seas or in the Arctic/Antarctic.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

Not necessarily.

Regardless, I was just following the convention of the other commenters. It doesn’t really matter what it’s called.

I don’t typically object to word choices, except for when I consider them to be highly deceptive and inaccurate. Most people will not question seeing the word ‘leather’ applied to plastics, and so it becomes commonplace and an these plastic-petroleum-based textiles become an ’acceptable’ substitute—further adding to our ecological nightmare, the ever-accumulating mountains of plastics worldwide (and in our bodies, microplastics).

 

[nathansz]

I don’t typically object to word choices, except for when I consider them to be highly deceptive and inaccurate. Most people will not question seeing the word ‘leather’ applied to plastics, and so it becomes commonplace and an these plastic-petroleum-based textiles become an ’acceptable’ substitute—further adding to our ecological nightmare, the ever-accumulating mountains of plastics worldwide (and in our bodies, microplastics).

I don’t disagree with most of what you are saying

I don’t think that “real” leather is something so virtuous that to use the word is the sort of deception you seem to be implying

I guess my only question for you is whether or not you agree that the industrialized raising of animals for slaughter is ALSO an ecological nightmare

 

[HDFan]

However, the leather Apple uses have been crap since a few years anyway.

as the quality of the leather cases has deteriorated greatly since the iPhone 11 Pro days

Most of the leather cases I see look terrible after a few months of use.

I have always used Apple leather cases on my iPhones and have never had any problems with them. The orange one I purchased a year ago looks as good as new.

 

[nathansz]

I have always used Apple leather cases on my iPhones and have never had any problems with them. The orange one I purchased a year ago looks as good as new.

One year should not be enough time for anything to deteriorate

Despite Apple convincing people they need a new phone every year

 

[Black Belt]

The first leather cases were great quality. The last one I bought didn’t last a year. Vegan leather will be garbage

 

[Cunir]

I'm hoping one day apple will sell a case with a front cover on it. I don't see the point of protecting the back of your phone and not the front

 

[bushman4]

When reading the thread most people seem to like and enjoy the quality leather case that Apple makes
It would be a bad move on Apples part to discontinue a fan favorite!
The leather cases are certainly profitable for Apple and provide a great fit for the iPhone that they are designed for
Hopefully the rumor is BS

 

[The Game 161]

my 14 pro max leather case is awful and broke already.

i will get silcone case or wait to get a case from casekoo

 

[mazz0]

Do you guys remember iPhone 5c cases?

Non

 

[cmcbhi]

no slaughtered animal to make a nice leather case for my iPhone = no purchase from me

I guess you go barefoot and use a hemp rope for a belt.
If you don't a hypocrite you are.
Nomad will send you a nice leather case for a better price.

 

[msackey]

I think oatmilk is similarly a marketing term so yeah. Peanut pre-dates marketing.

Actually, milk has long referred to not only what comes out of animals. Plant milk has long been denoted as also milk.

See for example: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/hist...-almost-every-culture-across-globe-180970008/

Linguistically speaking, using “milk” to refer to the “the white juice of certain plants” (the second definition of milk in the Oxford American Dictionary) has a history that dates back centuries. The Latin root word of lettuce is lact, as in lactate, for its milky juice, which indicates that even the Romans had a fluid definition for milk.

Don’t let an ahistorical viewpoint dictate understanding

I could be wrong but I think Scandinavian countries long had oat milk as part of their food culture long before it became popular in the US.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I don’t disagree with most of what you are saying

I don’t think that “real” leather is something so virtuous that to use the word is the sort of deception you seem to be implying

I guess my only question for you is whether or not you agree that the industrialized raising of animals for slaughter is ALSO an ecological nightmare

I do think that the raising of animals via bour current means of industrialized mass production is generally inhumane, and prioritizes only profit, without regard for the lives of the animals—which I do think is wrong.

As to humans raising other animals to eat, or for their milk, I do not have a problem with that if this is done humanely. I am someone who believes that humans, like many other onminvorous animals, need animal proteins for optimal health. We evolved over many millennia eating these foods, and our bodies—our health—do best when we are able to consume them.
Personally, what I do believe will happen is lab-grown meat, lab-grown ‘leather’, made from cell lines. The lab-meat production has already begun, it’s just that the science is in its infancy and so too expensive for consumers (as of now). This will change.
Additionally, I do consume legume-wheat-mushroom meat alternatives as a regular part of my diet, and I think that if the major producers make these products less expensive AND healthier (as well as tasty), then people will eat them. But, I do have concerns that manufacturers create the correct/optimal mix of amino acids for a high-quality protein. Unfounded objections to soy and wheat have negatively impacted some of the manufacturer ingredient choices, unfortunately.
As to whether the current production of meat is an ecological disaster—I would say that the petroleum-chemical-related industries are far worse.
There’s no easy answer for us. We need energy, and we need food and materials. But we have to move forward into better means and choices, one step at a time.

 

[zinacef]

As to humans raising other animals to eat, or for their milk, I do not have a problem with that if this is done humanely. I am someone who believes that humans, like many other onminvorous animals, need animal proteins for optimal health. We evolved over many millennia eating these foods, and our bodies—our health—do best when we are able to consume them.

If you think that, then you really need to do some more research. I urge you to watch the following documentaries as well - The Game Changers, Eating You Alive, & Forks Over Knives.

 

[nathansz]

I am someone who believes that humans, like many other onminvorous animals, need animal proteins for optimal health.

You could not be more wrong

In fact animal proteins are some of the leading carcinogens for humans

The interesting thing about belief is that it doesn’t make anything true

 

[Expos of 1969]

You could not be more wrong

In fact animal proteins are some of the leading carcinogens for humans

The interesting thing about belief is that it doesn’t make anything true

Can you be certain that the info on animal proteins could not be flawed like the long held belief that fat was a killer and sugar was not considered to be much of a problem? Or that fake sweetener is better than real sugar? I will take natural over lab produced fake meat and other products. Nothing wrong with real veg but I will never give up some real meat and dairy.

 

[nathansz]

I do have concerns that manufacturers create the correct/optimal mix of amino acids for a high-quality protein

If you’re really concerned about that than just eat some quinoa one a week or so

It is a complete protein