FineWoven – Apple’s new fine woven material

Within the September Keynote 2023 Apple not only introduced the new iPhone 15 series and two new models of the Apple Watch, but also the matching accessories. The new bracelets for the smartwatch and cases for the smartphone are now made of so-called FineWoven. Apple calls this fine tissue in German-speaking countries. The new material is offered as a leather alternative because Apple no longer wants to sell leather accessories. But what is FineWoven? What is the fine fabric of Apple's iPhone cases and watch bands made of? You can find all the information here!

What does FineWoven mean?

As the spelling of the material name suggests, it consists of “Fine” and “Woven”. The word group Fine Woven can be translated as “finely woven”. Since FeinGewebt is not so catchy in German, Apple decided to use the name “Feinwoven” in the DACH region. In short: FineWoven stands for Fine Woven, i.e. finely woven and therefore fine fabric.

Microtwill as a weaving technique for FineWoven / fine fabric

Depending on the source, Apple states that the fabric called fine weave is made of twill or microtwill. But twill is not a material, but a fabric weaving technique - it is also called body weave or body for short. The twill weaving technique creates a diagonal ridge (elevation), which creates a very special feel, especially with fine yarns. Twill is well known for its diagonal ridges. B. from denim material, i.e. standard jeans. 

With the new Apple FineWoven accessories, however, the reference to “micro twill” is crucial because, unlike the comparatively coarse threads of jeans, finer and softer threads are used here. Thanks to these, Apple's fine-weave accessories are said to feel like suede. Despite this reference to the weaving technique and the comparison to the suede feel, Apple does not provide any real details about the raw material used.

What material is Apple FineWoven made of?

Twill fabric can be made from cotton, silk, wool, synthetic fibers and the like. If you look at Apple's information material, you will see that the microtwill fine fabric consists of 68% material that was obtained through post-consumer recycling. The Sport Loop bracelet for the Apple Watch also uses 82% recycled yarn as the raw material. But yarn is not a material per se, but simply describes textile threads of any kind.

It can be assumed - based on the recycling information alone - that Apple's fine fabric accessories do not use natural materials, but rather plastic. Certainly further insights will come from experiences and hands-on reports on Apple's FineWoven material. Before the market launch of the new accessories, which are intended to replace leather and feel like suede, this is the current state of knowledge. If you have further information, please leave a comment.

The new Apple products in September 2023

The new FineWoven accessories made of microtwill fine fabric are mainly promoted for the latest Apple products. I have already addressed these in more detail in individual articles. Here you will find the most important technical data, hardware innovations, chips, performance improvements and functions of the new iPhones, Watches and AirPods:

• Everything about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
• Everything about the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Everything about the Apple Watch Series 9
• Everything about the Apple Watch Ultra 2
• AirPods Pro (2nd Gen): USB-C, iOS 17 & Vision Pro

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Johannes Domke

[On vacation] After graduating from high school, Johannes completed training as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which led to his independence. He has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others, for several years now. His articles include product introductions, news, instructions, video games, consoles and much more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.