Apple Says 'Goodbye Leather' in New iPhone Ad Following Controversial Switch to 'FineWoven' Material - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Says 'Goodbye Leather' in New iPhone Ad Following Controversial Switch to 'FineWoven' Material

Apple today shared a new iPhone ad called "Goodbye Leather" on its YouTube channel in the U.K., months after the company controversially switched from leather to a much-criticized "FineWoven" fabric material for accessories.


Apple discontinuing leather accessories for environmental benefits was a noble aspiration, but FineWoven accessories have been very poorly received. Just days after the first FineWoven cases were released for the iPhone, some customers and media outlets complained about the fabric exterior being prone to scratches and stains. A photo of a FineWoven case with a misaligned USB-C port cutout also surfaced.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern said her FineWoven case was "browning like a rotten banana" after five months of usage.

finewoven case sternImage Credit: Joanna Stern/The Wall Street Journal

"The edges are peeling, the fabric is scratched up like an old CD and it's browning like a rotten banana," she wrote, in her Tech Things newsletter. "I've been waiting for the CDC to show up at my house to declare it a biomedical concern."

Apple has yet to comment on FineWoven criticism, and it remains to be seen if the company discontinues the line or improves the material in any way.

Thanks, Dylan McDonald!

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 video ad

Apple Touts 'World's Best' AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancellation in New Vini Jr. Ad

Thursday June 11, 2026 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today shared a new ad highlighting AirPods Pro 3 Active Noise Cancellation. The ad stars Vini Jr., a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team, and it arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway. In the spot, Vini Jr. dances through the streets to music only he can hear. Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak shared the video on social ...
apple world surf league video

Apple Shares Video on How Pro Surfers Use Apple Watch During Competition

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:57 am PDT by
Apple today shared a video showing off the Apple Watch in use at the World Surf League Championship Tour, with surfers describing how they use the watch when competing. Surfers can be hundreds of meters away from the beach during competitions and can't hear announcements over the sound of the water and the wind. The World Surf League has adopted the Apple Watch to solve the problem, linking...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...

Top Rated Comments

RandomTox Avatar
29 months ago
If you naively believe that Apple is doing it out of love for nature and environment I pity you. Higher profit margins with substitutes.
Score: 88 Votes (Like | Disagree)
29 months ago
I bet that Tim Cooks car has leather interior.
Score: 77 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
29 months ago
Goodbye leather is fine, when the replacement is superior. FineWoven is not.

No chance Apple ships iPhone 16 cases in "FineWoven". It'll quietly disappear. Or be a silicone-only year.
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
29 months ago
Disgusting.
PETA can go to hell, and Apple is wrong.
Finewoven is crap. Yet Apple will charge the same or might charge us more for sub par quality.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
29 months ago
The Finewoven case is the worst accessory Apple has ever made.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
29 months ago
Not sure how these are being viewed as more environmentally friendly.

An iPhone X leather folio case for £99 in 2017 lasted the whole ownership period to end of 2023 when my mum upgraded to an iPhone 14. Easily the highest quality case I've owned for a smartphone.

These Finewoven cases haven't been out for a year and they already look ten years old. So a new case in a few months' time?

All the CO2 in manufacturing and shipping duplicated multiple times to replace. How very environmentally conscious.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)