'Categorically Terrible,' and Other Early Reactions to Apple's New FineWoven Accessories

[Analog Kid]

as others have stated, it’s weird apple did not go with vegan leather which by all accounts is quite durable.

By all accounts? Can you find any accounts? I'm just pulling the first few accounts I can find that look like they'd come from pro-vegan sources:

What Is Vegan Leather? Is It Really Better for the Environment?

Vegan leather is a popular substitute for animal-based leather. It can be made from synthetic, plastic-based materials or plant matter such as cork.

www.treehugger.com

"Vegan leather does not last as long as real leather; it has only one-third of the life expectancy, so keep that in mind when choosing a product to buy."​

What is vegan leather? All you need to know in 2024 - The Vegan Review

Vegan leather has gone a long way in the last few decades, such that well-made vegan-leather products are often mistaken for the real thing.

theveganreview.com

"Vegan leather is far less durable than real leather."​

​

Leaving aside the novelty of pineapple clothes, most "vegan leather" is really PVC wrap which seems like a poor choice over a discarded animal hide.

 

[Andy_in_Colorado]

Yeah, they’re terrible. Apple needs to bring leather back ASAP. There’s nothing bad about leather, and it’s asinine for them to claim otherwise.

Apple doesn't even care about leather one way or the other. They just want to be seen seizing on some shiny object so that the clapping seals can enthusiastically squeal and create marketing buzz.

 

[redbeard331]

Not sure why people even waste money on Apple cases, there’s like a half bazillion 19 dollar cases on Amazon that are better quality, and if you want to spend big there’s tons of third party companies that make expensive cases as well.

 

[tgwaste]

leather since iphone 5. really really sucks to not have it anymore. may just go naked now

 

[aaronhead14]

Why so much fuss over Apple stopping?

Because it’s annoying for Apple to commit suicide on product that we all loved, while pretending it somehow saves the environment when it obviously doesn’t.

 

[tgwaste]

Couldn't other companies make leather cases that fit the iPhone? Why so much fuss over Apple stopping?

apple's were the best by a mile. ive tried many others.

 

[gpat]

Because it’s annoying for Apple to commit suicide on product that we all loved, while pretending it somehow saves the environment when it obviously doesn’t.

That's pretty much what every car maker is doing by forcing a market switch to 100% EV, while nobody wants it.

 

[Toratek]

I'm sorry to see that what I expected when this product was revealed is exactly what seems to be happening with it. Mistakes get made, but now we will see the important thing- how they deal with it.

 

[callen_v1]

You mean plastic? Now that's a sustainable and ecofriendly material.

Finewoven is plastic. It's polyester. It will be around forever as well.

 

[Andy_in_Colorado]

That's pretty much what every car maker is doing by forcing a market switch to 100% EV, while nobody wants it.

...all while telling us it's for our own good.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I'm sorry to see that what I expected when this product was revealed is exactly what seems to be happening with it. Mistakes get made, but now we will see the important thing- how they deal with it.

Likely they will double down with more colour options already in the pipe line.

 

[Roller]

You’re confusing comparative ability of the machines with objective quality. There used to be pride in owning an Apple product because Apple took pride in building them. Now they are the same cheap trash with offshore tech support that every other company pedals to the market. Compared to its contemporaneous competitors in the market, Apple products still win … but compared against themselves, Apple products of the past were significantly better (for their respective times)

I simply pointed out that your assertion that old-time Apple products were better than today's offerings isn't supported by my extensive experience or by the many people I know who've also used Apple products for decades. You've provided no factual counter-argument other than saying I'm confused and suggesting Apple has no pride in what they sell. This doesn't mean Apple doesn't misstep — the cases that are the subject of this thread may be a case in point — but the people I know who work for Apple are genuinely proud of the company.

 

[star-affinity]

I think it's pretty insensitive to compare my ancestors who were slaves and felt the cognitive weight of their restrictions and suffering to animals with no sense of being.

Definitely value people higher than the animals produced for meat😉, but to say they have no sense of being is objectively wrong. We know animals can become stressed and feel pain and fear. Or what do you mean these reactions are projected on if not a mind or some sense of being?

I mean many animals out there are pretty smart and can even solve puzzles and show other cognitive abilities I think many people aren't aware of.

 

[mebehere]

It also looks like a bacteria trap. Wiping it down with rubbing alcohol would probably make it akin to a wet dog.

 

[shokk]

What’s wrong with leather anyway?! It’s a byproduct of the tonnes of beef we all eat. I’d rather leather continue to be made than it go to waste… we’re still eating beef and the cattle are dying in any case. Bring back leather!

I do love the feel of leather. All in all, we only use about 85% of the hides from the beef industry with the rest dumped into landfills. And the "we're still eating beef" numbers are only going up. Still, a bit more toxic processing goes into making leather that people object to. There are probably so many other third-party case manufacturers waiting for the $$$ for their leather goods to drop anyway.

 

[Andy_in_Colorado]

This...

The idea that the EU was somehow saving the environment with this mandate, or really, doing anything at all, is nonsense. My household likely has 30 lightning cables. Now we'll need to buy more as we upgrade the phones in the next couple of years.

Ah, but the right people got paid, which is what they were really going for.

 

[Ael_MR]

I wonder if this move away from leather is being done to appeal to the India market.

 

[kildraik]

If I can't have a phone case made from the same animal that I get meat and creamy juice from, I don't want it.

 

[Deadman64]

Has anyone seen reviews of the finewoven bands? Specifically the magnetic link? I’m wondering if they are also trash.

 

[Joz3d]

Meanwhile we slaughter about 100,000 cows/day (just in the US) for meat and now instead of at least using the hides to make leather they are throwing them in the landfill. I don't get it.

 

[Toratek]

The stupidity of this is that Apple has the clout to hold their leather suppliers to environmental standards, and by opening the door to a plethora of alternate third party sellers to supply leather and plastic cases, they abrogated this opportunity.

Leather is going to be out there and in demand regardless of the woke, anti-agriculture "eat the bugs" crowd, and now, Apple has zero leverage to hold the leather industry to any improvements to their environmental impact.

 

[scottcampbell]

No problem, I'll just get a case for my case.

 

[Ries]

ha how did this work?

I requested a refund, they told me a courier would contact me, to pick it up. 3 days passed and they claimed they received it and would refund me. The status said something about RMA and "low effort return".

 

[BannerManCan]

Def not worth what they are charging and they indeed scratch easily. Going back.

 

[Stromos]

I have no idea if I'm allowed to talk about products but here goes. I have been a UAG case user for years coming from Otterbox just being too big (defender series).

The Monarch cases were my go to until I really started using Magsafe more. I usually wouldn't go with something fabric at all but the Metropolis LT Kevlar Magsafe case was purchased for my 14 Pro and the Magsafe is perfect for my car mount. The Kevlar back is nice honestly and it doesn't have the massive UAG logo that I was never a big fan of. Already picked it up for my 15 Pro.