Wirecutter's Pick for Best iPhone 5 Case: The Switcheasy Tones

[shrtmkr]

Go naked and enjoy the design.

[mdelvecchio]

Originally Posted by bedifferent

Are you kidding? You want empirical data? Ok. (here's a quick one, read the comments: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57...e-says-report/ )

Placing that aside, and foregoing that google is your own friend, how about the latest news that Foxconn is slowing production due to the poor anodization of the back:

Increased iPhone 5 Quality Control Standards to Address Scratches Slowing Production

you have failed to provide any data to back up your claim:

"The new, thinner front touch-screen is much more susceptible to breakage than the 4/4S."

...sorry but some comments on a story arent data. point us to some articles about this "glass-gate", huh? or anandtech doing a glass stress test demonstrating the new, weaker break point. oh yeah, there arent any.

hater fail.

[bedifferent]

Originally Posted by mdelvecchio

you have failed to provide any data to back up your claim:

"The new, thinner front touch-screen is much more susceptible to breakage than the 4/4S."

...sorry but some comments on a story arent data. point us to some articles about this "glass-gate", huh? or anandtech doing a glass stress test demonstrating the new, weaker break point. oh yeah, there arent any.

hater fail.

Sorry, but I own the device, happened to me, and my friend. I used to work for the company in corporate. I am not a, "hater", and are we 12???

Honestly.

[rockinrocker]

Has anybody used the Switcheasy Tones with Apple's 30 pin to Lightening adaptor?
It looks like it might be too thick on the bottom for it to connect without having to take the case off.

[iPhonagain]

Best case I've found is the Ikonicedge super-slim pouch (I prefer the one with card pouch) http://www.ikonicedge.com/iphone_ss_pouches.html
Used it for my 4S and it is awesome. It is the best quality leather pouch I have used and I have tried many, including Vaja, Piel-Farma, etc.
Iconic edge is pricey but the quality cannot be beat IMHO.

Also I very much like the Das Blau line, they are affordable and great quality.

Other than that I prefer to go naked as Jony I've has made the most awesome case Ever !

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by xxgilxx

I'm going all the way. Griffin survivor. I have kids and butterfingers you know...

After all generations from the 3GS on, I can tell by my personal usage that I need a case!

I had my GS out of the box for 1 minute, put it face down on my car console. My dog stepped on it : Front glass scratch!

Dropped it plenty of times after that, same for 4S.

So, as an admitted Klutz I can only envy those who can keep an iPhone nice
and unbroken.

(BTW: Same reason why I don't ever buy white or light pants. Come to think of it , somebody ought to invent a protective case for white clothes!

[JAT]

Originally Posted by bpcookson

I've never used cases on my iPhones and I've never had a problem selling them when I upgrade.

Go naked or go home.

But most accidents happen at home.

[cpnotebook80]

Originally Posted by KO95

Has anyone tried the AViiQ's thin series cases?
http://www.aviiq.com/collections/fro...-iphone-5-case

I believe that'll be my iPhone 5 case.

I got that one. I got the white translucent one and didnt like it. A small stain on the inside of the case and you can see it smudged. Im waiting for my black one exhchange

[jpine]

Originally Posted by iGrip

I find it very ironic that so many people complain that other phones being made of durable plastic feel cheap, and go on and on about how beautiful the iPhone is, but then they cover their beautiful iPhone in a cheap feeling plastic case.

Apple made the iPhone out of aluminum because that is the very best material that could possibly be used.

I just wished someone would have thought of using anodized aluminum like my Maglite flashlight. It's nearly 20 years old and has very few scratches. I treat it far rougher than I do a cell phone.

[HERO XXL]

Originally Posted by Want300

When you get them... Let me know how the quality is if you don't mind.

Links? Thanks.

Don't mind at all--glad to help out. Recieved one--still waiting for the other. This one:
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewi...d=320987241154
isn't half bad--I know it isn't the Book Book, but I have no complaints, save for the hole for the camera isnt large enough, so when you take a pic with the flash, the pic is "washed out" because the flash reflects off the rim of the hole, which is big, just not big enough. For a "stand in", I'll deal with it. The other:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009AN...p_M3T1_SC_dp_1
by Navor, is the one I'm REALLY waiting for, since I was extremely impressed with it's quality for my wife's iPhone 4s. I'll try to post some pics of the ebay one later on tonight.

[mdelvecchio]

Originally Posted by bedifferent

Sorry, but I own the device, happened to me, and my friend. I used to work for the company in corporate. I am not a, "hater", and are we 12???

Honestly.

sorry, but an anecdotal story about you & your bro do not back up the claim that the new glass is notoriously more shatter-prone than the previous generation. you dont have to be a computer scientists to understand why thats the case, do you?

[bedifferent]

Originally Posted by mdelvecchio

sorry, but an anecdotal story about you & your bro do not back up the claim that the new glass is notoriously more shatter-prone than the previous generation. you dont have to be a computer scientists to understand why thats the case, do you?

I'm sorry, but I refuse to respond to a disrespectful reply with a condescending tone ("bro"? I'm 35 and not your "bro"). I've worked in tech since probably before you were a twinkle in your fathers eye, I can confidently state I know enough to recommend a product based on, yes, opinion.

We're done here. If you wish to carry this into a PM with respectful and polite discourse, I'm amenable to such. Otherwise, please learn to treat otherwise with the same common courtesy you would expect.

Take care.

[mdelvecchio]

Originally Posted by bedifferent

I'm sorry, but I refuse to respond to a disrespectful reply with a condescending tone ("bro"? I'm 35 and not your "bro").

i think you misread. i said you and *your* bro dont constitute any sort of statistical authenticity on your claim that the new iphone glass is weaker than prior, just because you dropped/broke/whatever your glass. that should be obvious.

I've worked in tech since probably before you were a twinkle in your fathers eye, I can confidently state I know enough to recommend a product based on, yes, opinion.

why u mad, bro? (hahah sorry couldnt resist) anyway, im older than you and probably have more tech experience, if pissing matches are worth anything on an anonymous forum on the internet. but they arent.

[hamkor04]

Originally Posted by slicecom

The best case is the one Jonathan Ive designed.

there is one out-there?

[rdlink]

Originally Posted by roland.g

I use a skin. There are many out there. Zagg, WrapSol, XO, etc. The list is fairly extensive. I've used BSE - www.bestskinsever.com since the original iPhone and on my iPad and MacBook Air and find their product, application process, and most of all lower price better to the others. I only use the body version which wraps the band and back. I prefer to leave the screen free. The skin adds a little bit of extra grip which is nice. And gives me piece of mind against scratching. For those wanting something on the screen I suggest SGP Steinheil or PowerSupportUSA screen films which are slick and quite clear.

Thanks for this. I have been using Zagg and one of their competitors for years. I decided to try BSE, since it was only $9 for full set of back, front and sides. I also ordered the Zagg full body set the same day. They both came in last night, and I decided to start with BSE, since it was the cheapest. The Zagg is going back! The BSE was easy to install, very customized to the shape of the phone and the buttons, and it's much smoother and and more invisible than the Zagg. All for about a third the price. I'm a convert!

Edit: BTW: When it came to the cutouts around buttons, speaker grilles, camera lenses, etc., the BSE was very nice an professional looking. The Zagg was the one that looked cheaper. Really.

[pghali]

Have you guys seen the waterproof Nautilus case? It was just announced on Kickstarter this weekend...www.tinyurl.com/nautiluscase

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Image


According to gadget review site The Wirecutter, the best iPhone 5 case at the moment is the Switcheasy Tones.

After he left Gizmodo, longtime tech blogger Brian Lam decided to make a website to help people buy gadgets. It wouldn't focus on reviewing every possible product in a category, but would instead answer the question "Which one of these should I buy?". Now, The Wirecutter has named its pick for best iPhone 5 case.

Image

The Wirecutter had this to say in its extraordinarily detailed iPhone 5 case review:
The Switcheasy Tones is available for $24.99 in seven color options through Switcheasy's website.

Article Link: Wirecutter's Pick for Best iPhone 5 Case: The Switcheasy Tones

[dgalvan123]

Originally Posted by Cygnus311

Because the glass doesn't scratch if you're even remotely careful? I've been sticking the iPhone 4 in my pocket naked for over 2 years and there's not a single scratch on either side of the glass whatsoever. Just don't put keys and other crap in there. Not that hard.

Kind of like saying: "Anyone who pays for car insurance is an idiot. Just don't get into an accident! Not that hard."

The "idiots" who use screen protectors gain the ability to put their phones in situations where a "naked" phone WOULD get scratched, without having to worry/think about it. They make a small investment ($9 for a BSE skin), and never have to worry or remind themselves not to put keys, coins, and things in their pockets.

You DO have to remember not to put regular pocket items into your pocket with your phone every single time you put your phone or anything else into your pockets.

On using skins in general:
My wife kept her iphone 4 in a case without a screen protector, I kept mine in a case WITH a screen protector. Somehow, she managed to keep her phone screen scratch-free for two years with no screen protector. That convinced me to finally remove my screen protector (it was getting peeled up in places after almost 2 years of taking the case on and off). A month or so later I dropped my phone on a sandy sidewalk: now there is a small but noticeable scratch on the screen.

I'll always use a skin. At least on the front.

I'm guessing the reason my wife has better luck keeping her screen scratch free has to do with the fact that she keeps the phone in a soft pouch in her purse, whereas I keep mine in my pocket? Who knows though. Statistics of small numbers means, to me, it's better to be prepared and eliminate worry.

[dgalvan123]

Originally Posted by rdlink

I have been using Zagg and one of their competitors for years. I decided to try BSE, since it was only $9 for full set of back, front and sides. I also ordered the Zagg full body set the same day. They both came in last night, and I decided to start with BSE, since it was the cheapest. The Zagg is going back! The BSE was easy to install, very customized to the shape of the phone and the buttons, and it's much smoother and and more invisible than the Zagg. All for about a third the price. I'm a convert!

When I got an iPhone 3G (4 years ago!), my BSE screen protector felt "tacky" and not as smooth as glass.

The iPhone 5 BSE skin feels much smoother and similar to the iphone's glass screen than the older version did. Not sure if they changed the formula/material or what, but it's a noticeable improvement.

If you look around on youtube for comparison videos (like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dPt2EwDGyY ) others say the same thing. Haven't tried Zagg myself since it is way more expensive. But from what I've read BSE is actually a better product at the moment.

----------

anyone receiver their switcheasy tones yet?

I ordered mine a couple weeks ago. My amazon account said it is in "transit to the carrier" and that it is expected to deliver between "October 16 and October 30".

Nothing yet.

[rdldew]

I picked up this case. It's pretty nice, but hides this amazing black beauty. As far as hard to take off, try peeling from the top or bottom. It makes it a ton easier.

[rockinrocker]

Neither of the Apple lightening to 30 pin adapters fit with the Switcheasy Tones.

Not even the cable extension version. The connector is just a little bit thicker and doesn't fit.

Just a heads up for anybody thinking about getting that case.

[dgalvan123]

I received my Switcheasy Tones case in Black/Grey two days ago.

It is exactly what I was hoping it would be: simple, low profile, convincingly protective, provides good grip but also easy to take in and out of my pocket, and, most importantly, the buttons are extremely easy to press! Since the Switcheasy Tones is made of two materials (hard plastic for much of the back and sides, softer rubberized plastic for some of the sides and the top/bottom), it provides strong protection and ease of use.

I had a Speck Pixelskin HD for my iPhone 4 for two years. I liked the low-profile, slim, protective nature of that case. But what I didn't like is that I always had to press the volume or lock buttons extremely hard through the case to get them to work. Not the case for the Switcheasy Tones. The softer material over the buttons make them very easy to press. You still feel the "click" with your finger almost as well as not having a case on at all. MUCH better than the Speck case was (and I still think the Speck case was a good case).

Also, the softer material on the edges makes it easier than the Speck Pixelskin HD to remove the case. (Agree with the above poster: start peeling from the bottom or top, not the sides, and you won't have a problem.)

The hard plastic on the back provides rigid support for the main body of the phone (I'd imagine this may help reduce likelihood of the phone bending or the screen cracking as a result of a bend.) And because the hard plastic is more "slick" than the rubberized sides, it allows the phone to slide easily in and out of my jeans pocket.

The "bezel" of the case IS raised above the screen's surface, but only slightly. So you can put it face down on a very flat surface and the screen won't touch that surface. But as I recall the Speck's raised bezel was raised a bit higher. So to protect your screen from scratching I'd still recommend using a screen protector. (I use a BSE screen protector which I had before this case. But the case comes with a good peel-on screen protector, so need to buy a separate one.)

Thanks to the original poster for bringing this case to my attention! I can strongly recommend it to others who like minimalist cases that still protect the front, sides, top, bottom, and back of the phone, while maintaining ease of use.

----------

Originally Posted by rockinrocker

Neither of the Apple lightening to 30 pin adapters fit with the Switcheasy Tones.

Not even the cable extension version. The connector is just a little bit thicker and doesn't fit.

Just a heads up for anybody thinking about getting that case.

Thanks for the heads up.

Just to re-assure people: the lightning/usb cable that comes with the phone (or that you can buy from Apple for $20) DOES of course fit with the Switcheasy Tones.

(I don't use the lightning/30-pin adapter.)

----------

Originally Posted by dgalvan123

[/COLOR]anyone receiver their switcheasy tones yet?

I ordered mine a couple weeks ago. My amazon account said it is in "transit to the carrier" and that it is expected to deliver between "October 16 and October 30".

Nothing yet.

By the way I should point out that when I ordered the case via Amazon, I heard nothing for 3+ weeks and then got issued a refund with no explanation.

When I ordered the case directly through Switcheasy's website, I got an order confirmation and the case got to me with 4 days.

So if you want this case, order directly from Switcheasy, not Amazon.

[Janus2012]

I use the cases from Otterbox for rough environment, but love my iPhone 4 Alfa case from EDGE Design.

[Cosmos01]

I was disappointed in this case to be honest.

[snowboardfoo]

There are so many "coolest iphone case" articles out there that are just ad placement...

The truth is, everyone is different! Right? So, imho, the ultimate "coolest" case for EVERYONE is just the ability to design your own case! Then you can get exactly what you want on it, literally.

This site is awesome, it makes it really easy to design your own case, and it's actually cheaper than buying it right from the manufacturer, how crazy is that! Check it out here:


http://www.case-monkey.com


or just GOOGLE: CASE-MONKEY if you're like me and can't remember that there's a dash in the URL... haha


I have one, it's sweet, and it's got MY personal logo on it. For most people, who cares about my logo, yeah, but for me, THAT's the COOLEST!!

What would you make if you can put anything on it? It's a tough decision, so many possibilities!!

[AlexDatcher]

Thank you for giving this iphone 5 cases away. I really want to get it. How does it costs?