Apple has more official first-party cases than ever to welcome the new iPhone 17 lineup. We go hands-on with all the new models, including TechWoven, clear, silicone, and the infamous bumper.
There is no shortage of third-party options for iPhone 17 cases, but Apple has several options of its own. This year, we saw new features and styles we haven't seen before.
This year, Apple says all the buttons have been reworked, making them more tactile than before. They also offer integrated covers for the Camera Control, retaining full touch sensitivity.
Plus, Apple's new cases integrate directly with iOS 26. It has a new feature that allows you to tint your icons to match the case you're using.
Finally, all the new Apple-branded cases have support for Apple's new crossbody lanyard.
TechWoven
The new kid on the block for 2025 is TechWoven, Apple's second attempt at replacing leather. TechWoven itself replaces FineWoven, the critically and publicly disdained first attempt.
If you're familiar with the FineWoven cases, the new TechWoven cases aren't that dissimilar in design. The sides are plastic with a slight textured grip to them.
The buttons are anodized aluminum and color-matched to the sides and back of the case. The back is covered in the new TechWoven material with a sunken Apple logo in the center.
This new material is made of multi-color thread that gives a bit of a different appearance from different angles. It's also textured, like a woven canvas.
There is also TechWoven material on the inside, rather than microfiber. It's still soft and should hold the phone well.
Apple says it's been treated with a finish that will help prevent fraying and staining. Time will tell if that's true after extended use.
In our opinion, while these cases are a step up from FineWoven, they still don't feel as nice as the leather ones. The plastic side immediately makes the cases feel somewhat cheap.
Wrapping the TechWoven material around the sides of the case — like Apple once did with leather — would have elevated the feel and perceived value. Apple may have skipped it to avoid fraying at the corners over time.
The TechWoven cases come in blue, purple, Sienna, green, and black and are available for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max for $59.99.
Silicone
Apple's silicone cases are a September staple. With each new wave of phones comes an expectant refresh of its rubbery cases.
They also get refreshed throughout the year, such as in the spring with additional colors. For the iPhone 17 launch, we got two sets of colors — one for the iPhone 17 and one for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
This year's models are largely unchanged from years past. They are all silicone on the outside with molded buttons on the side.
In prior years, the side buttons would be a darker shade than the body of the case. This time, they're all the same color.
This year, the colors are neon yellow, black, blue, terra cotta, Purple Fog, and orange for the pros. For the base iPhone 17, the colors are neon yellow, anchor blue, purple fog, and light moss, and black with all priced at $49.99.
Clear
Mixing things up this year is the clear case, another Apple standby. It still has transparent sides and a mostly clear back.
The case includes clear buttons on the side. Apple also says the material won't yellow with use.
The main change is at the lower back, which now has an inset white portion. This matches a similar inset on the back of the phone.
With this glass portion on the phone, Apple moved its logo down, centering it on the glass. If Apple made the back of the case entirely clear other than the MagSafe magnets, it would overlap with the logo.
The only reasonable way to solve this was to just cover the whole area to match the phone. Third parties are getting around this by using a cut-out portion in the ring of magnets on their cases.
Still, it has garnered quite a bit of criticism online, with users split on whether it looks terrible or was the right choice. It's available to pick up for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max for $49.99.
iPhone Air-exclusive
For iPhone Air, Apple has a couple of exclusive cases for it. They don't offer silicone or TechWoven versions.
Instead, there is an ultra-thin version of its clear case. It's similar to the regular one but has a slightly frosted finish to it.
Unlike the regular clear case, this one comes in different shades. You can get it in frost or shadow, which has a darker tint.
Then we have the bumper. The much-beloved case from the iPhone 4 era makes a comeback.
This bumper is very minimalist and comes in light blue, tan, light grey, and black. We will say that this case in particular can be tricky to get on and off.
We struggled quite a bit. The trick is to attack it from the bottom, where there are two flexible "joints" that allow it to be peeled free.
The only way the bumper could be better is if Apple used metal buttons on the side, like it did with its last bumpers.
The bumper is available now for $39, while the clear case is $49.
Beats
Aside from two iPhone Air exclusive cases and the silicone and TechWoven, Apple-owned Beats introduced several new cases. We picked up all the colors of the Rugged case, though they also have regular cases and a kickstand case.
The Rugged case seems the most unique to us, which has a much thicker body than all of Apple's other cases. It's especially evident around the charging port, which may pose issues for some cables.
Beats Rugged cases are almost all two-tone and often have vibrant pops of color. For example, the grey case has neon yellow buttons and matching microfiber lining.
The Beats cases start at $45, go to $59 for the kickstand version, and top off at $79 for the rugged case.
