Apple
- Apple recently announced new FineWoven iPhone cases to replace its leather ones.
- They've started shipping out, and early reviews are mostly negative so far.
- Users say they scratch easily, gather dust, and already look worn despite being relatively new.
Apple's first FineWoven iPhone cases have started shipping out, and customers aren't impressed, to say the least.
Negative reviews have already started pouring in for the new cases, which were announced at Apple's annual fall keynote last week as a more eco-friendly replacement of Apple's leather cases.
The Verge's Allison Johnson wrote that the FineWoven case is "categorically terrible."
"When we first inspected the cases after picking them up at Apple Park, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel picked one up and ran his fingernails across it five times — and that was all it took to leave a trail of indelible scuffs on the fabric," she wrote. "The scratches are still there a week later, no matter how many times I've tried 'buffing' it out by rubbing my finger over it."
Carrie Marshall of gadget and tech news site T3 wrote that the case "feels more like very fine felt or the faux-velvet you get on things like cheap jewellery boxes" and was "a bit of a dust magnet."
CNET's Patrick Holland said the FineWoven case has "visible tradeoffs," like a circular imprint left from MagSafe charging after only a week.
On Amazon, the black iPhone 15 Pro Max FineWoven case has a 1.3-star rating with nine reviews as of this writing, and the blue iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven case has a 2.6-star rating from seven reviews.
Some customers took to Reddit to express their disappointment.
"Taking my FineWoven case and wallet back when I pickup the phone on Friday. Really disappointed for the price. I can't see these things looking good after a few days honestly," one user said.
"Why does the Apple look so dirty and washed out when new?" another Reddit user wrote, referring to the faded look of the company's logo on the case.
Some Apple customers had more positive reviews of the cases.
"Back feels soft and velvety and suede like," one person wrote in a MacRumors forum.
"It's a lot softer feeling than I expected," a Reddit user wrote, though with a caveat: "It's nice but I too suspect it's not gonna be as durable as the leather."
Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the reviewers' issues ahead of publication.
Apple says the $60 case, which comes in five colors, is made from a "durable microtwill" fabric with 68% recycled material.
The FineWoven cases aren't the only new Apple product to leave users underwhelmed.
Though there were still long lines to buy the iPhone 15 when it hit stores Friday, some fans felt the new lineup wasn't much of a step up from previous iPhones.
The big change, however, is the switch from a Lightning charging port to USB-C after 11 years. The new charging port, which Apple was essentially forced to adopt to comply with new EU laws, does offer some distinct advantages, such as the ability to charge other phones and use a charging cable that many other devices, including Apple's MacBooks, also use.