Apple’s $59 Fake-Suede iPhone Case Is Its Biggest Dud of 2023
- The new material has drawn hackles from consumers, reviewers
- Apple developed fabric as a greener alternative to leather
Apple has embraced a new material called FineWoven as an alternative to leather.
Source: Apple Inc.
When Apple Inc. introduced a new material for phone cases and watchbands earlier this month, the company heralded it as a groundbreaking alternative to leather with “subtle luster and a soft, suede-like feel.”
Consumers and reviewers haven’t seen it that way. The fabric, which Apple calls FineWoven, has been panned for being prone to scratches and stains — with an almost-slippery feel that’s off-putting to some. What began as a high-minded effort to make Apple’s products carbon neutral is now threatening to be one of the company’s biggest misfires of 2023.
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Apple’s $59 Fake-Suede iPhone Case Is Its Biggest Dud of 2023