When Apple unveiled its new iPhone 15 lineup, the company also announced a new initiative to stop selling its leather iPhone cases as part of abroader carbon-neutral and environmental initiative. Replacing the leather phone cases is a new FineWoven material that Apple describes as a “durable twill.” You’ll also see FineWoven show up in other Apple products, such as Apple’s MagSafe Wallet, and in a couple of Apple Watch bands.
While noble, the move has caused some controversy. Almost immediately after the initial batch ofiPhone 15 reviewswent live,severalarticleswarned customersto stay away from the FineWoven cases due to how easily they scratch, stain, and attract lint. Pictures and stories were shared widely, each one detailing how easily dragging your fingernail across the case would cause a permanent scratch to the material.
Instead of taking everyone else’s word for it, despite seeing every singleFineWoven caseon display in my local Apple Store full of scratches from the fingernail test, I decided to buy a black FineWoven case for myiPhone 15 Pro MaxfromAmazonand use it for a couple of weeks to see just how bad (or good?) it is. Why do I mention buying it on Amazon? Because it was cheaper than Apple’s $60 asking price, and there’s no way this case is worth $60. But more on that in a minute.
Apple FineWoven Case with MagSafe for iPhone 15, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max
We tested the case for a couple of weeks and found that it was better than early reviews suggested…
My rules for the anecdotal test run were simple: Put it on myiPhoneand use it as I would any other case, forgoing any torture tests, and then after a couple of weeks, decide whether I would keep it or return it and get my money back.
So, as soon as the case arrived, I put it on my phone and snapped a few photos of it in pristine condition. Here’s how it looked on day one:
It looks good, right? There’s a slight pattern in the fabric, which I thought looked kind of cool, while also knowing it wasn’t going to last. The twill material feels soft and slightly slippery, unlike Apple’s leather cases which have a tactile feel to them.
The edges of the case feel like they’re covered in a material similar to FineWoven, but instead of being soft, they’re firm and add a sturdy feel to the case, which is reassuring that it’ll protect your iPhone when you inevitably drop it.
The buttons are firm and have a pleasant clicky feel to them. I’ve struggled some trying to find the Action Button, mistaking the volume up button for it a few times when trying to silence my phone in my pocket. But I think that’s more due to muscle memory and adjusting to a new button on the side of the iPhone.
After the first day of use, the pattern in the fabric was gone as expected, and I could start to see an imperfection in the case where the MagSafe ring of magnets are located. I use a MagSafe charging stand in my office and on my nightstand, along with a MagSafe wallet.
Since then, I’ve used my phone (and, by extension, the case) as I normally would. It’s been tossed in a backpack, on many tables, and taken a few short tumbles onto the floor.
And now, after almost two weeks of use, there aren’t any prominent scratches (or any at all, really) or any other glaring issues. Here are a couple of pictures that show its current state:
I think there’s a caveat about my experience that’s worth addressing, however, and that’s the color of the case. I’m starting to think that the black material hides some of the same issues that others have complained about. Perhaps my experience would have been different if I had bought the light brown Taupe color that would show more stains. It’s hard to say, though.
As someone who used Apple’s leather case on my iPhone 13 Pro Max for the last year, I have to say, I’ve no problems with the FineWoven case. Is it going to look brand new after extended use? Not at all. That’s a given. But neither did my leather case. In fact, here’s a pic of my leather case after a year of use, full of scratches and sections where you may start to see through the case due to its worn-down material.
Here’s my only complaint about the FineWove case thus far: It’s not worth $60. I could justify paying that much for a leather case, but I had difficulty justifying it for a case covered in twill. Even payingAmazon’s $55 asking price(it’s since gone up to $59) was a bit of a stretch for me. FineWoven isn’t a one-to-one replacement for a leather case and should be priced accordingly.
I still have a couple of weeks left before I have to decide if I’m going to return the FineWoven case. Still, if it’s any indication of what I’m going to do, I threw away all of the original packaging required to return it. So, for better or worse, I’m committed now. And I’m perfectly fine with that.
