There’s an update to the rumor about FineWoven, an Apple creation made of 68% postconsumer recycled content and used for phone cases, smartwatch bands and the like. On Sunday, Kosutami, a noted Apple leaker, said in a post on X that the company had ended production of the new material less than a year after its launch. And in a new post to X on Tuesday, Kosutami said there will be one more “season” of FineWoven items, even featuring some new colors, before it’s gone for good. It’s not clear how long the material will continue to be used or which new colors will be introduced.
FineWoven was big news when it was first announced in September 2023 as an eco-friendly alternative to leather for Apple accessories. Apple cited the sizable environmental impact of leather production and praised FineWoven’s subtle luster and suede-like feel, but apparently it wasn’t as durable as the company needed it to be.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
If the rumors of the material’s discontinuation are true, they wouldn’t be terribly surprising. Apple refreshed its case lineup just last month and included some snazzy new springlike colors, and none of the refreshed cases were from the FineWoven brand. The refreshed watchbands also failed to include any new FineWoven variants. 9to5Mac noted that Apple downplayed FineWoven last week when the company bragged about its environmental initiatives over the last year.
So if FineWoven is going to be phased out, the writing is clearly on the wall. Kosutami noted that Apple is allegedly working on a new nonleather material to replace FineWoven. We’ll likely hear more about that when the iPhone 16 launches in September, since Apple likes to announce new iPhone accessories with the new iPhone every year. That is, of course, provided that the rumor is true.
