Ok, so I finally got this case after pre-ordering it 2 months ago when it was announced. I had the initial version of this case when it came out for the iPhone 4 and returned it at that time for a refund from the company due to some poor build quality issues and the fact that at that time, the way the clasp was designed, it came in contact with the metal band of the phone and would actually scuff it. At the time their " fix" was to basically put a piece of tape on the metal bezel of the phone to cover the spot. Not so great...
Fast forward to this case. Now I only got it yesterday, so I have not had a lot of time with it, but wanted to give some first impressions.
This case is very well designed. It has been slimmed down from the iPhone 4/4S version despite what some people thought when seeing some of the pictures that Graft posted of this case. It is in keeping with the slimmer profile of the iPhone 5, which is nice. I got the black soft touch case with the matte clasp. Looks very classy and feels great in the hand. Only time will tell though how well the matte finish holds up as I am always leery about that stuff chipping and/or peeling up.
![ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850157.669940.jpg]( "ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850157.669940.jpg")
As to the buttons, these are very likely done. The tactile feedback is great on both the power button as well as the volume rocker. A nice audible click is made with each press, just like the naked iPhone buttons do. I am really glad they added the metal rocker button for the volume keys in this addition. It is a really nice touch and makes the case more classy in my opinions.
![ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850305.828223.jpg]( "ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850305.828223.jpg")
![ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850317.901028.jpg]( "ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850317.901028.jpg")
As to the cutouts, they are well done and VERY precise. And this is where there is a drawback to this case. The cutouts for the headphones as well as the lightening cable are so precise, that I think you would have difficulty using cables or headphones other than Apples. While I do not have one, I am pretty certain that there would be no way this would be compatible with the 30 pin to lightening adapter either. Other headphones would work, but would need to have connections similar in size to Apple's.
![ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850515.732134.jpg]( "ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850515.732134.jpg")
The backplate that this comes with is nice. It fits right in with the rest of the case. One knock though I would say is how big they made the camera cutout. I really don't understand why so many case companies are doing this now. It does not need to be so big people! The flash isn't all that bright! Man. Since I pre-ordered, I will also get the credit card back plate sent to me for free, but it is not available just yet so I will have to wait on that one.
![ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850843.760261.jpg]( "ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360850843.760261.jpg")
Then of course there is the clasp. This is just beautiful. I loved the design of the old one, and this one is basically just the same. The one really nice thing now though is that there is no spot where the clasp comes into contact with the phone's bezel. They changes the design to where there is now plastic molded into the case into the spot where the clasp previously came into contact with the phone. (And this is actually something Graft did a while back when they redesigned the original case as well.)
So all in all, this is a really classy looking case that is well designed and in my opinion does not take away from the design of the iPhone 5. I think it actually enhances it in a way. For 50$ it is not the cheapest case out there, but well priced for what it is.
Fast forward to this case. Now I only got it yesterday, so I have not had a lot of time with it, but wanted to give some first impressions.
This case is very well designed. It has been slimmed down from the iPhone 4/4S version despite what some people thought when seeing some of the pictures that Graft posted of this case. It is in keeping with the slimmer profile of the iPhone 5, which is nice. I got the black soft touch case with the matte clasp. Looks very classy and feels great in the hand. Only time will tell though how well the matte finish holds up as I am always leery about that stuff chipping and/or peeling up.
As to the buttons, these are very likely done. The tactile feedback is great on both the power button as well as the volume rocker. A nice audible click is made with each press, just like the naked iPhone buttons do. I am really glad they added the metal rocker button for the volume keys in this addition. It is a really nice touch and makes the case more classy in my opinions.
As to the cutouts, they are well done and VERY precise. And this is where there is a drawback to this case. The cutouts for the headphones as well as the lightening cable are so precise, that I think you would have difficulty using cables or headphones other than Apples. While I do not have one, I am pretty certain that there would be no way this would be compatible with the 30 pin to lightening adapter either. Other headphones would work, but would need to have connections similar in size to Apple's.
The backplate that this comes with is nice. It fits right in with the rest of the case. One knock though I would say is how big they made the camera cutout. I really don't understand why so many case companies are doing this now. It does not need to be so big people! The flash isn't all that bright! Man. Since I pre-ordered, I will also get the credit card back plate sent to me for free, but it is not available just yet so I will have to wait on that one.
Then of course there is the clasp. This is just beautiful. I loved the design of the old one, and this one is basically just the same. The one really nice thing now though is that there is no spot where the clasp comes into contact with the phone's bezel. They changes the design to where there is now plastic molded into the case into the spot where the clasp previously came into contact with the phone. (And this is actually something Graft did a while back when they redesigned the original case as well.)
So all in all, this is a really classy looking case that is well designed and in my opinion does not take away from the design of the iPhone 5. I think it actually enhances it in a way. For 50$ it is not the cheapest case out there, but well priced for what it is.
