When the iPhone 15 arrives next month, you’ll have a variety of options before you check out, including model, color, storage, and whether or not you want a case. But there’s one case option that reportedly won’t be there: leather.
According to a report by DuanRui on X (formerly Twitter), Apple “won’t be releasing a Leather Case for the iPhone 15 series.” Apple has sold a leather case for the iPhone since the 5s in 2013, and sold a Leather Folio for the iPhone X, XS, and 11 models. iPhone 14 leather cases cost $59 for either the 6.1-inch or 6.7-inch models.
If true, the move is likely an environmental one. Leather has increasingly fallen out of favor, with several car makers no longer offering leather seats as a high-end option, including Mercedes, Ferrari, and Tesla. Apple prides itself on its environmental awareness and use of recycled and renewable materials in most of its products. It has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030 and switching to synthetic leather or some other material will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
It’s not clear whether Apple will continue to sell leather cases for its older phones. Apple currently sells leather cases for iPhones going back to the iPhone XS, including leather MagSafe sleeves for the iPhone 12.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 at an event on September 12 or 13.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.