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Apple may have already ditched its unloved leather replacement

A new rumour claims Apple has halted production of its largely panned FineWoven case material, which replaced leather accessories when the iPhone 15 range arrived last year.

The environmentally-friendly alternative, which also replaced leather for Apple Watch bands, was the subject of widespread derision from early adopters due to concerns over durability.

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The cases and bands were liable to pick up far more scratches, scuffs and dirt than the leather counterparts, according to anecdotal reports.

And now Apple may have given up on its FineWoven accessories, which the company says was crafted from a durable microtwill and constructed from 68% post consumer recycled content.

The Twitter leaker Kosutami reckons “FineWoven has gone” and believes Apple is planning to switch to another leather alternative.

Perhaps the FineWoven case, with its ‘suede-like’ finish wasn’t all that bad though? A month after the range was announced, Trusted Reviews editor Max Parker put the case through its paces.

He wrote: “While Apple calls the finish ‘suede-like’, I would say it feels more like a car seatbelt. It feels nice in the hand, but the rubbery sides add only a little extra grip. It doesn’t feel anywhere as nice as the leather case, but I have no qualms with the feel and I also have no issues with how the case is holding up.

“I’ve been slipping it in and out of my pocket, putting it in a bag and trying to treat it as I would have done with the leather cases and it still looks fine a few weeks on. The fact I have the darkest colour option probably helps, as I am sure the lighter hues will show marks a lot more.”

Hopefully Apple will come up with an alternative, because there’s really no need to wrap your phone in the hide of an animal.

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