It’s been recently rumored that Apple has been developing its own first-party cases for its upcoming iPhone 17 lineup. Apple has been working on ‘Liquid Silicone’ cases, but according to Majin Bu, it appears that Apple is also working on a second lineup of cases that could serve as the more premium option.
Back in the day, Apple started offering its own leather cases for iPhone as early as when the iPhone 5s launched; however, with the launch of the iPhone 15 series, Apple has been aiming to reduce environmental impact by switching to low-carbon materials. Consequently, Apple ditched natural leather in favor of its own material that was marketed as “FineWoven”, which served as a premium option for Apple’s own iPhone cases, and it even replaced leather bands for Apple Watch, such as the Modern Buckle. However, despite being claimed to be more eco-friendly, it became quite controversial. For one, it would scratch very easily, so it wasn’t as durable as leather, and secondly, it didn’t feel premium at all for many users. After so many backlash, Apple quietly stopped producing FineWoven cases for the subsequent iPhone 16 series. However, Apple continues to offer FineWoven bands for Apple Watch.
With all that said, it appears that Apple took feedback from customers very seriously, and the company went back to the drawing board to redesign another ‘premium’ material that should improve on durability. It’s rumored to be marketed as “TechWoven.” If you ask me that sounds like a bizarre name, but if this were the official name for Apple’s iPhone case offerings, it could be that the name is based on the term “technical textile,” which by definition on Wikipedia, “is a category of textiles specifically engineered and manufactured to serve functional purposes beyond traditional apparel.” Now this would make sense because these upcoming “TechWoven” cases will still have function over form. They will feature metal tactile buttons like on Apple’s older leather and FineWoven iPhone cases, MagSafe support, Camera Control button compatibility, and, new to Apple’s iPhone cases, lanyard support for Apple’s upcoming “Crossbody Strap” option. Yes, it appears this option will be a new accessory for your iPhone to allow you to attach the strap to your iPhone cases, so you can wear it around the neck for convenience, similar to how you would carry a traditional camera. It’s all part of Apple’s strategy in making the iPhone more like a full-fledged camera setup. According to the below image by Majin Bu, it appears that the “TechWoven” cases will come in black, blue, green, purple, and orange.
We won’t have to wait until the week of September 9 to find out all the details for both the iPhone 17 lineup and Apple’s new iPhone cases.
