Yesterday I received my Fine Woven case and wallet (Taupe) for my iPhone 15 Pro. It's unfair for me to render a full opinion on the case until I have a phone inside of it, but the wallet is fair game. And I have an Apple MagSafe (leather) wallet to directly compare it to.
The Fine Woven wallet is absolute trash. It fails at its primary objective - not falling off the phone. Pair it with a Fine Woven case and it's practically glued on. Anything else, and it slides off with ease. I tested it on the following cases against my Apple MagSafe Wallet, and in all situations the leather wallet worked better than the Fine Woven wallet:
Cyrill UltraColor Mag (14 Pro)
Spigen Rugged Armor (14 Pro)
Nomad Modern Leather (14 Pro)
Nomad Sport (14 Pro)
Casetify (14 Pro Max, unsure which specific model, but it has a Gilmore Girls quote on a decal)
Cyrill Ultrasheer Mag (15 Pro Max)
Forget that the leather wallet was better for a second. There wasn't a single case above where the Fine Woven wallet adhered in a way that I would trust it. Not one, aside from the Fine Woven case itself.
The older leather wallet was a true MagSafe accessory for the broader MagSafe ecosystem. It worked well with virtually any MagSafe case, or even a naked iPhone. The Apple Fine Woven Wallet is a Fine Woven accessory first.
Apple no longer sells a first party MagSafe wallet. That's the bigger tragedy, IMO.
Videos
I’ve had both now for about a week. I like them both for varying reasons but curious what YOU think?
Long story short, l'm considering whether to use a MagSafe wallet full time. Although I'm a tech head and have used plenty of MagSafe accessories, I never switched over to MagSafe wallets.
On the one hand, l'm still a traditional wallet carrier. My main reason was for security as I was worried about losing both my phone AND wallet if I misplace my phone. Additionally, I've always been worried about the wallet coming off and I don't notice. On the other hand, I barely carry any cards lol (an ID, a debit and credit card). I also don't carry cash. Only do so when I know I will need it. As a result, l use primarily thin wallets or card holders, which a MagSafe wallet could entirely replace AND allow me to carry one less item when I leave the house.
What has y'all's experience with MagSafe wallets been like? Should I give them a go for once?
Introduction
I decided to write this review to share my experience of why I returned Apple's Fine Woven MagSafe Wallet and eventually found happiness with the discontinued Leather MagSafe Wallet.
Context
I recently picked up an iPhone 15 Pro in natural grey and chose AppleCare+ as my protective "case" because I wasn't too impressed with the feel of Apple's Fine Woven cases.
First Impressions
I initially thought the Fine Woven Wallet would be pretty much like the Leather MagSafe Wallet. They share the same layout and magnet system, after all. How different could they be?
Issues with the Fine Woven Wallet
1. Magnetic Strength: I noticed immediately that the wallet wasn't holding as strongly to my phone as my old leather wallet did.
2. Stability: When using my phone one-handed, the wallet shifted so much that I was worried it would knock my phone out of my hand.
3. Wallet Detraction: The final straw was when I went to pay for dinner and pulled my phone out of my pocket, only to find the wallet had stayed behind. This had never happened with the leather version.
Returning the Product
I returned the Fine Woven Wallet the next day and got a refund. Unfortunately, there were no leather wallets in stock physically at Corte Inglés or FNAC.
Temporary Solution
While searching for an original Leather MagSafe Wallet, I opted for the ESR MagSafe wallet from Amazon. At $20, it's bulkier than Apple's, but the finger loop adds comfort. It served as a decent temporary wallet.
Finding the Original Leather Wallet
I scoured the internet and eventually found the last “Black Leather MagSafe Wallet” available on Fnac. It's been perfect so far, with the kind of grip and magnet strength that I originally missed.
Conclusion
Overall, my experience has shown me that the Leather MagSafe Wallet is far better than the Fine Woven one in terms of magnet strength and stability.
Edit: typos