New official iPhone 16 cases: covered Camera Control in, FineWoven out

Burned by the extremely unpopular FineWoven case line that it unveiled just last year, Apple has decided to shake its official case lineup a bit for the iPhone 16 series. The changes are in the leather case department, but there is also a big one involving the new Camera Control button that will make third-party iPhone 16 case makers rather disadvantaged.

New iPhone 16 FineWoven wallet

Unfortunately, the choice of the FineWoven fabric turned out rather poor, as it didn’t stand the test of time. By time, we mean the first few months, which brought scuffed, stained and generally worse looking FineWoven cases than anything that Apple has concocted in the field until then.

Apple has taken the hint, and has discontinued the FineWoven line of cases on the hush-hush. For those who actually didn’t mind the material, it now simply offers a FineWoven wallet attachment and that’s that, albeit for the same hefty $59 price.

New iPhone 16 Silicone case with covered Camera Control button

The new iPhone 16 Silicone line of cases, for instance, all come with “a sapphire crystal, coupled to a conductive layer to communicate finger movements to the Camera Control” at the same $49 price.

The case is manufactured with 55% recycled material for a soft-touch finish on the outside and a microfiber lining on the inside, and aligns magically for MagSafe charging duties.

iPhone 16 Clear case with covered Camera Control button

That’s right, the Camera Control key is now covered by both Apple’s new Silicone and Clear cases. According to Apple, the transparent Clear case is a “blend of optically clear polycarbonate and flexible materials.” 

It, too, wraps around all the buttons and “works seamlessly with Camera Control” via the aforementioned sapphire crystal and conductive layer that relays the sliding zoom gestures over to the capacitive Camera Control key.” Just as the Silicone one, the $49 Clear case supports the faster 25W MagSafe charging, and has a scratch-resistant coating that resists yellowing.

iPhone 16 Beats case

For the first time, Beats makes a case for the iPhone 16 series, and, you guessed, it, it also provides touchless communication with the Camera Control button without an ugly cutout.

What’s so Beats about it, though? Made with hardshell polycarbonate but flexible sidewalls to optimize shock absorption, it sits right between the tougher Otterbox and the silicone cases for the iPhone 16, for instance. 

The case is thinner, lighter, and easier to grip than the rugged Otterbox cases, but still provides extra protection compared to the Silicone or Clear cases for the new iPhone 16 series, and costs the same $49 that they cost, too.

All in all, Apple has refreshed all of its cases for the iPhone 16 series, and has even removed the FineWoven line, leaving just a trace of it in the form of an expensive Wallet attachment. It was forced to do it by the introduction of the new Camera Control key, and the patent for cases that interact with the covered button underneath is immediately in play.

Spigen, however, now offers absolutely the same covered button functionality with its own Ultra Hybrid T (MagFit + Camera Control) case. There is a conductive layer on the inner side and a gasket that goes around the button underneath for a close fit.

It, however, remains to be seen if third-party cases will be as responsive with the Camera Control key as the official Apple cases.