I am using an Apple leather case but would like to purchase a different one, what are my best options?

Thank you!

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I should start off by stating that I'm just an average Joe who went a little overboard with case purchases in the past couple of months. Not a professional Youtuber/reviewer, and definitely not sponsored.

I also bet that there are some of you out there who have gone down this rabbit hole much deeper than me. Fess up folks.

Nontheless, I wanted to share some of my thoughts here, hopefully it helps some of you with your purchase decisions as well.

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Background:

This is my first iPhone, after a 5 year hiatus over on Android (Samsung S6, S8, Essential, Pixel 3, and a few others). They were all great, but still regard the iPhone 4S to be the best overall designed phone... ever, and a close second being a toss up between the Pixel 3, and the Essential PH-1.

So when apple finally decided to go back to the flat, boxy designs of its glory days, I felt it was finally time to return back to the walled garden. The boxy, sharp edge design meant 2 main things: Glass Screen Protectors without compromises, and Grip-ability.

But beyond the design, coming over from a Google Pixel back to apple also opened up a whole world of case choices. If you've ever been on the other side, you will know what I mean exactly. Finding a thin, well made case for any of the non primary brands was a real difficult task, especially if you are not based in the US.

Nontheless. Lets begin...

Case Categories

There are 4 broad categories of cases that I purchased, and the review will follow these groupings:

1. Leather Cases

2. Silicone/Polyurethane/Plastic Cases

3. Thin Skin Cases

4. Bumper Cases

1) Leather Cases

These are typically expensive cases, and i splurged on both the Apple Saddle Brown Case, Nomad's Rugged Case, and some more affordable alternatives from ESR.

Apple Leather Case - These are a great leather choice... if your priority is not leather quality. This was one of the first cases that I purchased because I longed for the same feel in hand as the older iPhone 4S and 5 Leather cases, especially the Project Red editions. Apple's leather series seemed to be pretty well known for its patina-bility, as can be seen from the various threads here, and the dedicated thread over at MacRumors. However, this year's leather type, and quality, seems to be a little different from from its past forms. It doesnt seem to patina well over time, but instead darkens easier with frequent wear.

With that said, apple gets it right on the following fronts: Slim profile, button tactility, and well... magsafe. The leather is still great dont get me wrong, but when compared to other cases in general, and especially leather cases, there is non that matches apple's button feel, given that it's also made of metal, and the overall slimness of the case.

I wouldnt, however, recommend this case if the main reason for purchase is for a durable, and well aging leather. Apple's leather case falls short on this front.

Nomad Rugged Leather Case - If leather is top priority, I fall back to Nomad's Leather case series. They make overall great leather cases, and I own the same for my Pixel 3, and Airpods as well. They've aged well, and dings and marks only adds more character over time. Their materials have been altered in their latest rendition, where the case overall feels lighter, but less "rugged". They can also take a beating, as promised by their 10 ft drop claim. Inside the case is lined with some soft silicone material along the edges, which makes the protection claims believable. It also keeps some of the flat edge design of the iPhone 12 intact, while rounding off the corners at the back and front of the case.

With that said, the button feel and profile of the case leaves much to be desired. The buttons feel... empty, and mushy, and just overall isnt great feeling. It is also one of the bulkiest case of my list of 22 case choices, no doubt this is by design.

Even after a month, the leather smells great, and a nice patina is gradually developing, as the leather darkens overall.

ESR Leather Cases - These are the cheaper alternatives if a leather case is a must. They look great, from afar, especially the white and rose gold one. These cases feature a few nice touches - metal buttons which add to the tactility of the case when put on, and a slim profile. The inside of the case is lined with soft cloth material. I wouldn't call it microfiber, and the buttons seem to be lined with cardboard material.

There are minor differences between colors though. While the claim is that these are made of genuine leather, the white leather feels a little more supple than the black, and they both feel really thin, almost paperlike. The pebbling of the leather also feels artificial. They are a far cry away from apple and nomad's cases, so dont expect too much from ESR on this front. The case is also a VERY tight fit on the device. No issues getting to the mute button, but putting them on and taking them off often leaves stretch marks on my phone skin, and requires you to really push in order for the case to come off.

2) Silicone/Polyurethane/Plastic Cases

Where do I start...

Ringke Fusion (Matte) - This is a great case especially if you like the back of your phone to be visible. Ringke seems to have a few common design attributes across their iPhone 12 case line. The raised lips on all 4 corners of front of the case, and the lip around the camera bump all ensures that your phone is well protected in case of drops. I distinctly remember being pleasantly surprised when i first held the case in my hands, i though my search has come to an end, this was the End Game (obviously not the case).

The back of the case is made of matte plastic, which keeps away fingerprints, and gives a nice blur look to the phone. It is smooth and soft to the touch. The bottom cut outs arent precise, and are large enough for generally most type of charging cables, and comes with a landyard holes as well, if you so choose to go down that path.

The buttons maintain good tactility, is close to apple's leather button feels, but is unmistakably plastic.

Baseus Matte Case - These are very similar to Ringke Fusion, with a few exceptions. They do not have the raised corners on the front, and the camera bump on the back. The buttons are a lot more mushy than ringke's version.

With that said, they come in 3 nice colors - Clear, Smoke Black, and Blue (for those blue phone fans). The back of the case is also "claimed" to be made of glass, as opposed to the plastic back on Ringke. This difference is especially clear when taking the case off the phone, where Baseus's cases flexes much less, and cant be peeled off like Ringke's Matte Case. The matte glass back matches apple's frosted back feel in hand much closer than the frosted plastic from Ringke. Unlike Ringke though, Baseus precision milled the cutouts to match the phone, which is a nice touch

No Brand Frosted Cases - A dime a dozen from your choice of online retailer (Lazada, Aliexpress, Shoppee, Amazon, etc). They look, and feel, more bulky than other cases, with bright orange buttons. They are more "soft touch" feeling rather than matte/frosted feel, but otherwise provides equal amounts of protection to the phone. I wish these cases came without a back, as their TPU outer layer makes for a great bumper case, and the buttons are exchangeable, similar concept to Rhinoshield's bumper cases.

Ringke Onyx - I use these cases the most out of all the cases I have, mainly because they get all the basics right. Its made of flexible material that is easy to put on and off, with plastic buttons that feel right up there with apple's buttons. The outer material is really grippy and has all the drop protection features you would expect from any Ringke case (raised corners, camera protection, and 4 stoppers on the back. The design is simple, minimalistic, no nonsense, and they are really quite affordable. For an everyday beater, you cant go wrong with this case.

SmartDevil Silicone Series - These are great alternatives to apple's silicone cases. Their cases do not have any branding on the outside, and is made of good quality silicone. The colors arent Neon Like... and look great from all angles. The only ding on these cases are the visible seams on the middle of the frame, and the soft mushy buttons. Given the affordable price these go for, thats to be expected. I got them in white, yellow and red, and white seems to be my overall favourite. The cutouts are also precision milled, and lines up perfectly with the phone

Knockoff Apple Silicone Case - Please dont waste your time and money on these. I regret buying 3 of these

3) Thin Skin Cases

Baseus Thin Cases - There arent that many options if you would like absolute thinness in a case. Baseus makes the most affordable version of these cases, and both the smoke black and clear matte versions look great especially if you have teardown skin on from DBrand. The fit is exact, down to the speaker cutouts, and I personally prefer a full camera cutout with the raised lip around it, instead of the other common 'hole-ly' cutouts from other manufacturers. Given its simplicity, i didnt see the need to try other brands/manufaturers for these cases since they will pretty much feel/look the same, offering no protection whatsover besides preventing scratches. Your buttons are exposed, and will feel less raised given that they line up closely with the thin case around it.

If you absolutely hate cases, but despise apple for giving us shiny frames on the Pros, this might be a worthy compromise.

4) Bumper Cases

Generic Metal/TPU bumper case - This is such an underserved category of case, even for apple. Back during the Antennagate days, this was my absolute favourite type of case. Simple, shows off the back with a nice skin, and just enough bumper to be grippy and protect the edge of the phone when laid on a table.

Its no longer the case (pun intended) with the iPhone 12. There are barely any good options for these, besides Rhinoshield's overpriced, oversized bumpers. These ones that i found boast of good materials, while retaining all the benefits of being a bumper. The black looks much better than the silver, given that it hides all the unsightly seams around the bumper. The buttons feel great since its made of metal, and preserves the tactility of the phone, but its volume rocker is unreachable unless you have extra nails on your fingers.

There's also minor variations between the black and silver versions of the case - the silver version has raised corners on all 4 corners of the phone, whereas the black is just a solid lip all round the back of the phone. The fronts are the same.

TLDR:

If you read this far, thank you. At least I hope you enjoyed the read. If not, here's the quick summary, and my conclusions altogether:

Favourite Leather Case - Apple Leather Case. If you are scoffing, please scroll up and read why

Favourite Transparent Case - Ringke Fusion Matte Clear

Favourite Silicone Case - SmartDevil in White

Favourite Thin Case - Get any that is cheap really...

Favourite Bumper Case - Doesnt exist yet

My Everyday Case, and overall favourite - Ringke Onyx

After months of switching cases back and forth, I really want to just go back to being totally caseless. But Apple's decision to make the sides of the Pro shiny like a mirror unfortunately makes this impossible. Maybe getting the 12 non pro would have been better.

Hope everyone finds something useful to takeaway from this post!

https://i.imgur.com/K8V4LhV.jpg

I have an iPhone 12 and have been buying soft silicone cases for years that I like (pictured), but they now get greasy after a few month.

I don't wanna keep buying new ones from AliExpress to replace every few months.

So what are good brands or types? Is Casetify actually good or overrated/overadvertised?

Thx!

I forgot to ask this in my last post... Any recommendations for an iPhone 12 case that's protective, thin, and has a decent grip? Ideally under $30. Magsafe isn't a requirement for me.

I don't anticipate getting a Magsafe charger anytime soon cause then I'd also need to get a brick and that together is kinda pricey.

I have an otterbox defender currently that is now in 7 pieces. I want one that protects as good but also has magsafe. Any suggestions?

I’ve been rocking a black Spigen case for awhile now but really looking for something new. I’m not a klutz but not graceful (have glass screen protector). I love thinner feels of cases that have lips for screen and camera that aren’t slippery and clunky. In past I’ve had a casetify one that I enjoyed but trying to expand horizons. Any success with brands: Casely, Incipio, SteepLab? Any others?

I have used Apple cases, InCase, Belkin, Tech21, Otterbox, Native Union, and Logitech (for various devices) and I have found that the Apple cases are good, but not the best in terms of durability. I. think the most durable cases tend to be the Otterbox cases, but they are expensive.

In terms of value, I think the best cases are "generic" third party cases. This is just for iPhones and Airpods, though, as the laptop generic cases I have had experiences with tend to be cheap and do not fit well.

I don't have much experience with laptop cases (not protective bags, but actual shells), so I can't comment a whole lot in that area.

I am on the hunt for a MagSafe case for my iPhone 12 as I recently got a MagSafe Battery Pack and my current case is not compatible. I am currently looking at the Spigen Mag Armor, the Mous Limitless 4.0. I don't mind buying the Mous, however $80 for a case for a phone that I plan to keep for only 2 more years seems excessive. I am open to any and all suggestions.

I was thinking about getting the clear MagSafe case for my 12 pro since I’m also planning on getting the MagSafe charger, but after further inspection of the pictures I see online for the clear case, I’m not sure if I want it anymore. What case is everyone getting? Also any suggestions for a screen protector?

I’m planning on ordering the iPhone 12 pro max, and am conflicted about what case to go with. I’m coming from an iPhone XS Max.

I’ve used and loved the Apple leather cases, but they aren’t very durable, and a bit expensive. I picked up an Apple silicone case, and love the amount of protection it provides, but I can’t stand the buttons... they aren’t very clicky, especially not compared to the leather cases.

My criteria is that I want a thin case, that provides a basic level of impact protection. I usually run with tempered glass screen protectors, and I want the case to have a small lip above the screen for protection. I prefer the buttons being covered, but want the buttons to be as clicky as possible (like with the Apple leather case).

The leather cases don’t hold up to falls very well, and the silicone ones grab onto my pockets a tad too much, and I don’t like the button feel at all. Any advice?

Tempted by Spigen. Don’t care much about MagSafe for now. In my head the Apple leather case made out of TPU with the same metal buttons would be perfect. I like the idea of the Pitaka cases, but prefer the buttons to be covered...

Hey guys,

So I just ordered an iPhone 12 pro after only having androids for the past 8 years. My phone will be here in two weeks so I'd like to get a good case asap to protect it. I've seen that the the Otterbox cases won't be shipped until late November, so I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for best cases available right now? Thanks in advance!

From your experience, what are the most durable cases for the iPhone 12/12 pro? I watched a lot of people praising PhoneRebel Gen-2, and even though the price is not the issue, I'm not convinced that the design can save the phone from regular day-to-day drops on surfaces that are not entirely flat due to it not being thick enough equally on all the sides and only on the edges. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Design, Thin, or MagSafe don't matter to me, I'm just looking for a solid case that actually saves the day and protects my phone from drops.

Hello,

I'm going to pre-order either the iPhone 12 Pro in Graphite or Pacific Blue (If it's going to be available on the release date). I'm trying to figure out what kind of cases y'all are going to be getting. I'm really good with my iPhones and I'm trying to find something very slim and clear preferably. What brands do you guys all trust these days? I have been looking at Spigen, Totallee, UAG, Tech 21, and Supcase. Any others that I'm missing? I'm looking for a premium type of case that is super slim basically.

Thanks!!

Hey y’all, so I got my IPhone 12 Pro three weeks ago and while I definitely love it coming from my IPhone X (especially the camera and screen) I’m really struggling with its weight.

Since it’s now too late to return the phone I’m trying to make the best of it. To this point I’ve gotten two cases so far-the Tech 21 Evo Check and the Apple Leather Case…but both seem to add to its bulk if anything.

So with that being said does anyone have a case suggestion that makes the phones weight less noticeable? I’ve been looking at the Pitaka air case but haven’t been able to the pull the trigger due to its price.

Suggestions please!

iPhone 12

Hi, I am looking for a fully transparent case(or clear) the best ones I have found are:

•TORRAS diamond clear •Spigen Ultra Hybrid (Which is better?)

I don’t really care about how it looks or bulky as long as it’s transparent and will protect from constant drops

Any other suggestions?