iFixit Gets Closer Look at Apple's Maligned FineWoven iPhone 15 Case With Teardown

[davidf18]

Feels like plastic to me. It seems except I'm going to use the water repellant as suggested in the article.

I've relied on Apple for cases, and the one time I had a screen break in 11 years of Apple, they replaced it for free, since I told them I was using the Apple case -- this is before I had AppleCare+.

I would like a leather case, but the recommended brand, wont' be available until October. I am waiting for some real reviews that include the durability over time, the protection, the MagSafe magnet strength, the use of buttons, etc.

 

[sviato]

Steve would be sending some emails about now.

Lisa Jackson needs to find a new job, and Apple needs a priority re-assessment. It is not more "green" to produce cases that wear out many times faster than prior ones.

It’s not really about being green, gotta get those ESG metrics/perception up to attract investors who need ESG diversification in their portfolios. The fact these wear out easily and users have to buy new ones is a bonus

 

[Lioness~]

Consider myself lucky: I got both a leather case and a Mini before they stopped selling both.
Jackpot 🎰

 

[AgentElliot007]

Just left the my store and the wall of FineWoven cases and wallets were already completely destroyed with scratch tests, like 30 scratches on each one. They are definitely going to have to replace the whole wall of display units on a daily basis. Crazy. Apple needs to reverse course on these. Imagine how they will look after a month!

The Fine Woven cases are so much worse looking in person. I was picking up my 15 Pro Max today and I still hadn’t picked out a case, and part of me thought I’d end up with fine woven as it’s closest to the leather, but I found them to be flat out awful. The leather cases had certainly lost a step, but I’ve bought them and been generally happy year after year. I prefer the feel of the leather and the buttons are far better than most other options. The Fine Woven is a very sorry replacement and I don’t suspect they’ll be on the shelves very long. But Tim Cook’s Apple makes less and less sense everyday, so they’ll probably double down next year.

I ended up with the clear case. It’s nice to see the natural titanium finish, but I hate the feel of any plasticy case, and it’s a fingerprint magnet. Will likely be returning and looking for a nice leather alternative.

On that note, let the search begin…

 

[Naraxus]

I think a lot of people in the tech world (especially here) need to stop making this more than it really is and start treating the case for what it is, instead of a priceless work of art.

Well maybe if they didn't charge a priceless-work-of-art-price for this case we wouldn't be "making this more than it really is".

 

[jdawgnoonan]

Look at what they’re replacing though. Lots of people, including myself, liked the leather cases because they were high quality and elegant. I’m actually going case-less now because all of the options at the Apple Store would cheapen my phone. Maybe I’ll get a good quality third party leather case at some point.

That is what I did. This has to be great for third party leather case makers.

 

[haydn!]

When your protective case needs it’s own protection, you know they’ve f**ked up.

 

[Sowelu]

I called this from day one - these cases even looked cheap in the marketing images. Very surprised that Apple went this route. At least price them at like $29 or $39.

Also, how is this going green exactly? There will always be an abundance of leather as animals are constantly being slaughtered for meat (yes, I know, this is problematic by itself for many, and I get it). But, what exactly is the leather product manufacturing process that Apple is using that is so carbon heavy? Wouldn't the proper solve be to make that very process (for their cases and such) more environmentally friendly?

Perhaps using real, natural leather and employing talented people to craft leather products instead of that bonded **** they were using to mass produce them would be a better alternative. Also, the new cases are made with plastic cores - is this plastic 100% recycled? How are they molded? What's the process?

I am all for going green, but it needs to make sense with equal or even better alternatives. Spending on R&D would help make this happen. Overcorrecting or being lazy is never the answer.

Remember when major store chains committed to super thin check-out bags which wound up tearing and ripping, so they had to double them and ultimately used more plastic than ever before? That's because corporations didn't want to dig into their deep pockets and invest in recycled paper bags, so now it's a ****-show of BYO or paying extra for paper bags (varying by state).

Shall we talk about LED lighting/bulbs and the AWFUL light they give off (despite how far they've come and their attempts to try and fake it) and how they are now the only kind of bulbs Americans can buy? You'd never think that highly efficient halogen bulbs that give off beautiful, natural, soft light existed, but corporations are too cheap to dig into their own profits to make them even more efficient like LEDs. So, now we will live in a world with poorly lit homes and streets (I know, most people won't notice or care). Take a photo with your iPhone in an LED lit room versus an incandescent and or halogen lit room and tell me if your subjects are lit (and look) the same.

Keep those fossil fuels pumpling, but BAN effing light bulbs. Nice.

We need to get better at 'going green'. Apple has done great things in this area, and I know, it's just a case, but killing all leather products and offering a cheap looking and feeling alternative is not the answer. I expect Apple to do better than all these other corporations who are too cheap and lazy to invent better, cleaner alternatives and who refuse to figure out how to clean up their current manufacturing processes versus eliminating products all-together.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Well maybe if they didn't charge a priceless-work-of-art-price for this case we wouldn't be "making this more than it really is".

If we weren't on the MR forum, I would be inclined to agree. Every molehill seems to be a mountain around here.

 

[Compote]

We got rid of leather because the environment. We make plastic cases, because the... environment ?

 

[Gangalanga]

Alongside the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro, Apple introduced a new case material called "FineWoven" as an alternative to leather, and unfortunately, it has not proven popular with some customers.

Image of FineWoven case under microscope from iFixit​

Given the criticism of the FineWoven case, teardown site iFixit obtained one of the accessories and decided to take it apart to get a closer look.

Using a digital microscope, iFixit viewed the FineWoven fabric at 52x and 490x magnification, confirming that it is indeed made up of bundles of tightly woven fibers. Each fiber is much smaller than a strand of hair, measuring in at about six microns thick.

Groups of the individual fibers make up threads that are around 150 microns thick, and iFixit says the microtwill material that Apple is using is not too far off from high-end jackets from companies like Patagonia and Arc'teryx.

When the FineWoven fabric is scratched, the fibers don't break, but the scratch does cause the affected fibers to reflect light irregularly, which means there's a visual mark. The softness of the material also means that items in the pocket with the case can leave an indentation.

Because the FineWoven case is made from fabric, it did stain when exposed to hot sauce and oil, though it was able to resist coffee. When exposed to certain foods or liquids, FineWoven case owners can expect to see the case become stained, and iFixit wasn't able to get the oil or the hot sauce stain out.

iFixit cut the case open to see how it was assembled. The FineWoven fabric is on the outside, with a gray foam inside. Beyond the gray foam, there's a rigid plastic sheet, the MagSafe hardware, white foam, another rigid plastic sheet, and an inner layer of FineWoven fabric. All of the layers are thin, and the FineWoven fabric itself is about 0.17mm.

The sides of the case feature the same FineWoven fabric that appears to have been coated in a resin-like material, producing a hard, non-porous surface.

iFixit suggests that those with FineWoven cases protect it with a Durable Water Repellent spray to make the case more resistant to staining and liquid.

Article Link: iFixit Gets Closer Look at Apple's Maligned FineWoven iPhone 15 Case With Teardown

FineWoven gate.....

 

[redbeard331]

We got rid of leather because the environment. We make plastic cases, because the... environment ?

Weird huh, so many materials Apple could have gone with too.

 

[ninetyCent]

this level of scrutiny is silly...

 

[Tagbert]

Yep. I buy cheap cases. If it breaks, I buy another. I have 7 cases for my iPhone 13 Pro, and all of them combined cost less than one FineWoven case. Including two leather cases. Even then, I go caseless maybe 1/4 the time.

Yea, a big part of the reason people are upset about the Finewoven cases is that they have a high price. Apple seems to have thought that it could charge a premium for these like a leather case when they seem to feel like the box a leather case would have come in. They missed how these would be perceived. Surprising because usually Apple is good at gauging customer reactions to products.

 

[Compote]

Weird huh, so many materials Apple could have gone with too.

Like the colorful ones they make that rupture like breast implants after 3 weeks. I believe they's made of Haribo Goldbears.

 

[JapanApple]

It’s not really about being green, gotta get those ESG metrics/perception up to attract investors who need ESG diversification in their portfolios. The fact these wear out easily and users have to buy new ones is a bonus

Kermit the frog said it best….”It’s not easy being green” Apple knows this Hard way 😀

Kermit knows

 

[CloneBB]

People complain too much. These cases look fine. Plus they are in line with Apple’s green goals. Factory farming for leather is not only bad for the environment, it’s unethical. So kudos to Apple for finally making the switch off of leather.

I will go buy a leather case later. Right now it is time to go eat a steak. Boo to Apple for getting rid of the best case every - leather.

 

[CloneBB]

Consider myself lucky: I got both a leather case and a Mini before they stopped selling both.
Jackpot 🎰

That doesn’t help with the iPhone 15.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I will go buy a leather case later. Right now it is time to go eat a steak. Boo to Apple for getting rid of the best case every - leather.

Who cares what you do personally. I’m just happy Apple dropped their leather cases. Buy whatever the hell you want. Eat whatever you want. I don‘t care.

 

[madrigal77]

Who cares what you do personally. I’m just happy Apple dropped their leather cases. Buy whatever the hell you want. Eat whatever you want. I don‘t care.

Why would you be happy?!?!

 

[CloneBB]

Who cares what you do personally. I’m just happy Apple dropped their leather cases. Buy whatever the hell you want. Eat whatever you want. I don‘t care.

Don’t be such a greenie meanie.

 

[wikiverse]

Wait. Hold up. So this was sold as an eco-friendly alternative but the core is made out of plastic!?!? I wonder what Mother Nature will think about this next year, not even mentioning the customers who buy this thinking helping the environment. Who is going to join the class action lawsuit?

It's not just the core, the memory foam is 100% plastic. The 'fine woven' material is 100% plastic. The glue is 100% plastic.

Unapollogetically Plastic.™️

These cases are 100% plastic, cannot be recycled in normal household recycling, and are going straight to landfill when users decide they look like crap after 1 month of putting them in and out of their pockets. They're not 'carbon neutral', they're not environmentally friendly.

A good leather case would last for multiple devices if Apple kept device dimensions the same (like they did with s models every other year).

Most people keep a wallet for 5+ years, a phone case shouldn't be any different.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Why would you be happy?!?!

Um… because Apple constantly brags about how green they are. But selling leather products goes against all that. Factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to man made climate change. So yeah, I‘m happy that Apple is finally walking their talk. 😉 👍🏼

 

[wikiverse]

Um… because Apple constantly brags about how green they are. But selling leather products goes against all that. Factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to man made climate change. So yeah, I‘m happy that Apple is finally walking their talk. 😉 👍🏼

Leather is a waste product of the meat industry. People are still going to want the meat, so all that's going to happen by phasing out leather is that the leather will go to rot - releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

They've also replaced the leather products with 100% plastic products that scratch easily so people will dispose of them sooner than a leather case, and they cannot be recycled in normal household waste - so they're all going to landfill.

Apple isn't walking their talk. They're completely full of BS and this is pure green-washing. This is worse for the environment.

 

[EDS66]

This is one of the worst products Apple made in recent times. Overpriced, low quality, low durability, bad looking, cheap looking

This is an analog to reductio ad absurdum in

now THATS how you go green!

That's how you loose a lot of green.