“It’s browning like a rotten banana”: a senior WSJ tech columnist’s take on Apple’s FineWoven case،
In September 2023, a significant part of Apple's Wonderlust event was dedicated to the Cupertino giant's ecological reorientation.
That’s when FineWoven was introduced: a luxurious new material to replace leather in Apple products.
The move may have earned Apple the title of PETA Company of the Year, but Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal is far from agreeing with the way FineWoven is aging:
There you go, everyone. The FineWoven case for my iPhone 15 Pro Max after five months of use. The edges are peeling, the fabric is scratched like an old CD, and it's browning like a rotten banana. I was waiting for the CDC to show up at my house and declare it a biomedical issue.
It's here. The FineWoven case for my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The edges peel, scratch and turn brown like a rotten banana.
An Apple spokesperson said the company's cases are designed to the highest standards to protect iPhones.
More on this not-so-thin FineWoven case in my newsletter… pic.twitter.com/cpDc46LpN8
–Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) February 23, 2024
According to Stern, many might share the same issues with the FineWoven. She recalls how Apple declared that this FineWoven material was “a stylish and sustainable new textile” and that it was made of 68% “post-consumer recycled content”. To which the WSJ's senior tech columnist said: “Admirable. Except that nothing is right with the FineWoven case. » “At online retailers, people who gave the case one or two stars all point out the same problems: loose edges, scratches, tendency to get dirty. On Best Buy, many say they will never buy an Apple case again and that it is the worst product Apple has ever made. Same on Amazon,” Stern’s thought-provoking report continues.
She says Apple's advice for cleaning the FineWoven case with laundry detergent and water is helpful, but “the thing still gets scratched and peeling.”
