Apple’s US$59 fake-suede iPhone case is its biggest dud of 2023

There’s some irony in FineWoven being one of the biggest controversies surrounding the launch of the iPhone 15. This is the year that Apple switched the phone to a USB-C connector, and that was expected to trigger outrage among consumers. — Reuters

When Apple Inc introduced a new material for phone cases and watchbands earlier this month, the company heralded it as a groundbreaking alternative to leather with "subtle luster and a soft, suede-like feel.”

Consumers and reviewers haven’t seen it that way. The fabric, which Apple calls FineWoven, has been panned for being prone to scratches and stains - with an almost-slippery feel that’s off-putting to some. What began as a high-minded effort to make Apple’s products carbon neutral is now threatening to be one of the company’s biggest misfires of 2023.