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Premium1

macrumors 65816
Jan 26, 2013
1,417
1,686
They were overpriced trash (even by apple standards) so glad they are putting them back where they belong (in the trash). Maybe they will move to the "vegan" leather-like others are doing since they love to virtue signal with how they are saving the environment.
 

ikramerica

macrumors 68000
Apr 10, 2009
1,562
1,855
They could make up their own name for faux leather like VW V-tex or Mercedes MB-tex.
 

ApAx

macrumors member
Sep 15, 2023
62
138
United States
Still don't get it why people don't just buy a $10 cover from a third party that lasts the entire lifespan of the phone. Is the Apple logo on the back of the case that important?

For a long time, Apple was known for its design and quality materials for its products. Many people (myself included) enjoy a cohesive design experience, and products purpose-made for the same ecosystem by the same group tend to work better than 3rd party accessories. We've come to expect a better quality material with reliable MagSafe performance from an Apple case that had been rigorously tested against Apple's high standard of quality.

It does seem that with the widespread issues with fine woven cases (mine included) and the hokum Mother Nature ad, Apple jumped on the hippie-dippie feel good bandwagon in a rush attempt to boost sales in a product area that people had been flocking elsewhere to fulfill.
 

dwhittington

macrumors regular
Mar 20, 2007
246
174
Houston, TX
I just went to the Apple Store a few days ago to get something to replace my fine woven case. The store employee actually offered up that he thought the case would be covered under warranty. I was glad the suggestion was provided, and became curious to see if they would cover it as I’m definitely not someone who is rough in handling my gear.

So I did sit with a Genius who made the determination that my case with coming apart at the USB-C cutout due to in a manner that was not just ‘wear and tear’. They were willing to cover the case but they didn’t have any in stock, and ordering a new case requires leaving your existing with them. That’s fine with me, but I decided to wait since I was departing on a cruise the next day and prefer the added protection during excursions.

I did offer Apple some feedback suggesting that a choice of alternate colors should be an option in situations where inventory is not available. Not that I want any other color than black, but I’d be willing to go with a different darker color.
 

Premium1

macrumors 65816
Jan 26, 2013
1,417
1,686
Should’ve just used regular vegan fabric / faux leather instead. No reason to wear our tools in murdered organisms, we as a species are already far ahead of Stone Age. Or at least I hope so.
Lol but you go around murdering and eating plants (which provide us with much of the oxygen we need to breathe). Get off your high horse, those animals were already being used for their meat and other parts, it's not like they were used just for leather.:rolleyes:
 

PlayUltimate

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2016
937
1,715
Boulder, CO
Go ahead and fire whoever approved this for mass production while they are at it
perhaps. . . . depends on the circumstances. For example: "You have xx months to design and manufacture a replacement for the iPhone leather cases that are being discontinued. The retail price cannot be more than $yy and it needs to have 35% profit margin. And it needs to be as durable as leather and come in selected colors. And it has to be able to be manufactured at scale." Sounds like an easy task but likely isn't. Just finding suitably priced materials may be an issue.
 

magbarn

macrumors 68030
Oct 25, 2008
2,970
2,274
Still don't get it why people don't just buy a $10 cover from a third party that lasts the entire lifespan of the phone. Is the Apple logo on the back of the case that important?
Point me to a 3rd party iPhone 15 case that has magnets strong enough to hold the phone. I use a magnetic mount in my car and only Apple cases have magnets that hold on despite LA‘s potholes.
 

GuruZac

macrumors 68040
Sep 9, 2015
3,615
11,503
⛰️🏕️🏔️
Not going to happen because that would be much more expensive, and it would even be more embarrassing than Apple quietly discontinuing a product.

Also, I wonder what the environmental impact differences between natural leather and whatever plastic Apple used when it comes to manufacturing these cases and their end of life at a landfill. I suspect natural leather would be much more environmentally friendly. I wonder if the plastic Apple used isn’t so bad because they designed it to deteriorate rather than around forever. That could be causing the durability issue, but that’s just speculation on my part. These cases might be just as bad as other plastic items.
100% any non leather item with have more plastic than leather. And I have always loved the term vegan leather. There’s no such thing, it’s either cactus or plastic.
 
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