Apple’s new FineWoven line replaces leather cases and watch bands

Apple has a new premium material for Apple Watch bands and and iPhone cases. It’s here to replace its leather offerings that, in the case of phone cases at least, have been declining in quality for several years now. The new material is called FineWoven, a soft fabric material Apple will offer in an assortment of iPhone and Apple Watch band colors. The change comes as leather “has a significant carbon footprint at Apple’s scale,” according to Apple’s environmental policy VP, Lisa Jackson.

As someone who owns a black leather iPhone 12 Pro Max case that has been slowly falling apart, I can’t say I’ll terribly miss Apple’s waning quality of cowhide. Third parties will certainly continue to fill this new gap with cheap leather cases that are actually cheap and higher-quality leathers more fitting of a premium price. And since Google sadly killed off its great selections of fabric cases back when it started offering gross silicone ones with the Pixel 6, I’m all for seeing what Apple’s take on fabric looks and feels like.