Stock of Apple’s faux-leather FineWoven iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands is at an “all-time low”, suggesting that the controversial product line might be discontinued just a year after launching.
That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who says low stock of FineWoven iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands means that Apple is either planning to discontinue the accessories or refresh the lineup with new colors and support for new devices.
The next major Apple event, titled ‘It’s Glowtime’, is scheduled to take place on September 9, and we expect to hear news of the iPhone 16 family, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Intelligence at the Cupertino-set showcase. If Apple is keeping FineWoven around, the company is likely preparing for a case refresh alongside these new hardware products.
Apple launched its line of FineWoven iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, and AirTag holders alongside the iPhone 15 series in September 2023.
FineWoven was introduced to replace leather in Apple’s accessories as part of the company’s mission to make every product carbon-neutral by 2030. The material is made up of 68% “post-consumer recycled content” according to Apple, but the company has not released details on what, exactly, the stuff is made of.
However, customer reaction to FineWoven has been generally poor since Apple began using the fabric for accessories just one year ago.
In our review of the FineWoven iPhone 15 Pro case, we called the product “a disaster”, while The Verge called FineWoven “categorically terrible” and CNET said it “can’t applaud” the cases while respecting Apple’s move away from leather.
Apple closing the upcycled curtains on FineWoven would be an unprecedented move, given that the company typically maintains features and product lines for several years, even in the face of bad reviews.
The unreliable Butterfly Keyboard introduced to MacBooks in 2015 remains one of the most notorious examples, with Apple even launching a repair scheme before finally ditching the keyboard with the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Regarding FineWoven, we’ve only heard rumors at this point, and it’ll be up to Apple to decide whether FineWoven will be a rare exception to the rule.
Gurman adds that stock shortages are also being noted for the third-generation iPhone SE, the iPad mini, AirPods, and multiple Apple Watch models, suggesting updates for these products could be on the way, too.