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

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

RandomTox Avatar
14 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)
dino12 Avatar
14 months ago
I bet that Tim Cooks car has leather interior.
Score: 77 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
14 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)
Minato1990 Avatar
14 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
14 months ago
The Finewoven case is the worst accessory Apple has ever made.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
14 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)