Even the Tame Apple Press is unsure how it can sell “FineWoven” to punters. One reviewer moaned that he could not make sense of it after seven days.

“I have no other choice but to say it out loud: FineWoven is very bad.”

For those who came in late, FineWoven is an expensive new fabric option on iPhone 15 cases, AirTag holders, and MagSafe wallets. Apple claims it is a "luxurious and durable micro twill." It's silky, almost slippery to the touch, and costs $59 for any of the phone cases, $35 for an AirTag holder, and $99 for one of the new watch bands.

Apple is pitching them as a premium replacement for its discontinued leather accessories. The company won't sell leather iPhone cases and straps anymore because making them at Apple's scale "has a significant carbon footprint."

So, while FineWoven is more sustainable than leather, it is not a premium material that leather. Some users have complained that new cases showed wear along the edges, and lint immediately caught on the fabric, too.

What appears to have gotten the reviewer's goat, or rather his cow, is that Apple seems to have replaced leather cases with a more expensive and less helpful product. If FineWoven had been cheaper, he might still be singing its praises.