Models adopting natural materials continue to lead the predominantly high-end range.

Leather remains the choice material in South Korea’s flip mobile phone case line, but intense competition and climbing production costs have deemphasized the use of genuine animal skins. The last includes cowhide, and lamb- and alligator skin. While releases based on them are still mainstream, a number of companies are now shifting focus to synthetic inputs. They leverage improvements in the manufacture of artificial hides, which have brought them closer to the other’s design and feel, to thus realize greater variety at more attractive rates.

“The fierce price rivalry is driving makers to focus on PU,” said Minjo Jeong, manager at iPro International Co. Ltd. Phonestyle Corp. turns out models utilizing artificial leather because the material presents design options that are hard to implement on its natural counterparts.

“The prospects for genuine-leather products do not look very good,” said JS Jacklyn’s manager Helen Lee. Even so, there are suppliers that continue to keep them as a staple category to meet demand in the high end. About 80 percent of Phonestyle’s yield still uses natural animal skins. Skin Player Co. Ltd specializes in artificial-leather cases but also offers the genuine types.

Further, some manufacturers combine the materials to broaden buyers’ choices. About 70 percent of iPro’s output consists of models with exterior and interior respectively made of natural and synthetic inputs. In coming months, however, the maker will focus on cases based on the latter.

Companies follow the trend for smart product designs, which allow easy access to phone features through the case. For its models, Skin Player has a free app downloadable from Android handsets.

Ssongs Design has improved its cases doubling as stands. Instead of the conventional folding covers, the supplier uses magnets to support large-display phones.

Features upgrades, however, impact prices. “The average rate of increase is about 5 percent,” said James Taewoo Kim, Phonestyle’s overseas business lead. At Skin Player, the adjustment is 10 to 30 percent.

Makers such as JS Jacklyn, Ssongs Design and Skin Player are reducing manufacturing expenditure to keep quotes steady. The first continues to explore other materials and segmentation methods to achieve better durability while lowering overall outlay.

South Korea makers face the additional cost challenge in securing international approval. “In particular, the EU has significantly tightened up REACH, making it a priority for us to use environment-friendly materials,” said Minjo of iPro.

JS Jacklyn and Skin Player target Europe and the Middle East. The latter allots 20 percent of output to overseas markets, mainly Japan, mainlandChina, Malaysia and North America. iPro ships all products to the first, and is eyeing Southeast Asia and Japan. Phonestyle, which exports 60 percent of yield to Western Europe, Southeast Asia and North America, hopes to cover the rest of Europe. Ssongs Design plans to add Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe to current destinations France, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The local selection consists of basic, window-view and wallet types. There are between 150 and 200 manufacturers of leather mobile phone cases in South Korea. Small and midsize companies form the majority.