Apple just proved it can learn from its mistakes. The company's new TechWoven case for the iPhone 17 Pro ditches the easily-scratched FineWoven material that frustrated users for two years, replacing it with a bumpy, utilitarian design that actually holds up to daily abuse. After a week of mountain hikes, key scratches, and toddler testing, The Verge's review confirms what iPhone users have been waiting for: a durable Apple case that doesn't fall apart.
Apple just did something rare: it admitted a mistake and actually fixed it. The company's new TechWoven case for the iPhone 17 Pro represents a complete about-face from the troubled FineWoven era, trading luxury aesthetics for real-world durability.
The vindication comes from The Verge's Allison Johnson, who famously dubbed herself "the nation's foremost FineWoven hater" after the material's disastrous 2023 launch. Her week-long torture test of the new TechWoven case - including mountain hikes, sweaty bike rides, and toddler handling - revealed exactly what Apple got right this time.
"I carried it next to my keys, gave it to my toddler, and handled it while measuring out ingredients for banana bread. It's fine. Fine is good," Johnson reported, a stark contrast to her brutal takedowns of FineWoven's scratch-prone surface.
The FineWoven debacle started when Apple discontinued leather cases in 2023, citing environmental concerns about cattle farming's greenhouse gas emissions. The company positioned FineWoven's "microtwill" as both "luxurious and durable" - claims that lasted about as long as the cases themselves. Users quickly discovered the material scratched easily and aged ungracefully, turning premium accessories into eyesores within weeks.
Now Apple has pulled its classic move: quietly retire the problem and pretend it never happened. The $59 TechWoven case maintains the same price point but delivers fundamentally different materials and expectations.
Made from 100% recycled polyester, TechWoven creates what Apple calls "dimensional texture with a rich depth of color." Translation: it's bumpy and looks more like tactical gear than a fashion accessory. But that's exactly the point. Johnson had to "dig pretty hard" with her fingernail to create any scratch, and even those marks buffed out completely.
