iSkin Claro for iPhone 5 [pics]

[BearsFan34]

I just thought I'd throw a few pictures of this case up here for any who might be interested. I haven't seen any photos of this case anywhere else besides the iSkin website.

I waited a long time for this case. I wanted something clear, but with a grip. And I wanted to be able to use the 30-pin connector to Lightning adapter I bought, and most cases I looked at from Speck, Griffin, Rocketfish, BestCase, InCase, Cygnett and others all had "protection" on the bottom of the iPhone case & the adapter didn't fit. Perhaps soon-to-come "snap" cases like this one will have a "bare" bottom.

Overall, I am happy I waited for this case. It was a bit pricey ($31US, including shipping, after the company so very kindly applied a coupon code they sent me AFTER I jumped the gun & ordered the case the morning it released), but I'd give it a 92% grade personally.

The only real niggle I have is that you have to press really, really decently to get the volume up/down keys to activate. That's disappointing. I didn't care about the sleep/wake button & protecting that, I've tried lots of cases that made using that button impossible. So I'm glad there's nothing covering it. I also really dislike cases with a "cutout" for the volume keys, I found myself pressing just as hard to activate those buttons with a cutout & bare keys as I do now with them covered.

Otherwise the grip not the sides are GREAT. Not slippery at all. Not that the iP5 is all that slippery (ok, maybe it is a little), but I find the grip welcome. The clear backing doesn't seem to scratch at all, though it has been just 24 hours. It has been in/out of my jeans pocket, the inside pocket of my jacket, and in & out of a Kensington windshield mount in my car…& it still looks brand new.

There doesn't appear to be a "lip" around the edge of the iPhone to keep the screen from touching the surface of the table/whatever when placed screen-down, but that's ok with me…right now. With the clear back not scratching at all, I'm not too worried or concerned about placing the iP5 on its back almost all the time.

Here are a few pics; sorry if the quality is crappy, I don't have any real good lighting in my home & it's quite overcast today.

 

[BearsFan34]

One more...

One last pic, since the maximum is five pics per post...

 

[woodywyatt]

Thanks!

Hey thanks for your review and images, this has helped me decide to get one of these cases for the iPhone 5 I'll be buying this month. I was searching for a review on YouTube and there doesn't appear to be any yet.
Cheers

 

[BearsFan34]

Hey thanks for your review and images, this has helped me decide to get one of these cases for the iPhone 5 I'll be buying this month. I was searching for a review on YouTube and there doesn't appear to be any yet.
Cheers

No problem, happy to post here. I don't have a great setup to record videos & upload to YouTube, so figured this was the next best thing. I hadn't read terribly much about iSkin cases around here. I'm sure there's some talk, but I'd guess they're in posts that're 35+ pages long & I can't possibly read all of them.

After a weekend I'm still quite happy with this case. I thought the difficulty of pressing the volume up/down keys would bother me, but I've realized I don't use them nearly as much as I thought. I'm either in the car where the volume is set to sense the headphone jack/AUX entry of my stereo & be at 100% anyway, or if I'm using a headset/in-ears then I have volume controls there. So it's still a small niggle, but not a big deal at all.

I will say that now that the BookBook case for iP5 is released, it's quite tempting. But I'm still thrilled with the iSkin Claro. They're not for sale at Apple Stores yet, was at the Lincoln Park store downtown Chicago over the weekend, and their "selection" of iP5 cases was pretty weak.

 

[Mark50]

Questions...

Hi. Thanks for the info. I have a couple of concerns though. I had the Claro for iPhone 4 and the sides turned yellow and looked terrible. Also left small marks on the silver edges where presumably it rubbed against the iPhone.
I guess it's too early to tell as you've only had yours a short while but those are the reservations I have about buying for my new iPhone 5...

 

[BearsFan34]

Hi. Thanks for the info. I have a couple of concerns though. I had the Claro for iPhone 4 and the sides turned yellow and looked terrible. Also left small marks on the silver edges where presumably it rubbed against the iPhone.
I guess it's too early to tell as you've only had yours a short while but those are the reservations I have about buying for my new iPhone 5...

No prob, happy to post.

As far as the yellowing, yeah it's tough to tell this early; I will say though that on the Claro for iP5 the sides are black...so I wouldn't *think* there'd be any yellowing there.

Nor would there be on the case in general. It's not your typical "TPU"-type material like the Claro for the iP4 (which I also had). This Claro for iP5 is more of a "hard" case, I liken it to the InCase "Snap Case" material...a harder plastic. I'd be surprised if it yellowed. Not saying it won't, but I'd be surprised if it did.

I've taken my iP5 in & out of the case a few times in the few days I've had it & haven't seen any marks (that weren't already there from the manufacturing process) due to using this case.

 

[Mark50]

Oh okay, I didn't realise from the pics that it's black on the edges. Now I've looked closer I can see it (duh).Okay so the harder plastic as you say will probably stay clear,that's good.As long as it doesn't scratch up I suppose.
I personally would rather have a completely clear case because I like the silver edges of the white iPhone.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Can you post a better pic of the bottom, maybe one with the adapter in it.

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I just thought I'd throw a few pictures of this case up here for any who might be interested. I haven't seen any photos of this case anywhere else besides the iSkin website.

I waited a long time for this case. I wanted something clear, but with a grip. And I wanted to be able to use the 30-pin connector to Lightning adapter I bought, and most cases I looked at from Speck, Griffin, Rocketfish, BestCase, InCase, Cygnett and others all had "protection" on the bottom of the iPhone case & the adapter didn't fit. Perhaps soon-to-come "snap" cases like this one will have a "bare" bottom.

Overall, I am happy I waited for this case. It was a bit pricey ($31US, including shipping, after the company so very kindly applied a coupon code they sent me AFTER I jumped the gun & ordered the case the morning it released), but I'd give it a 92% grade personally.

The only real niggle I have is that you have to press really, really decently to get the volume up/down keys to activate. That's disappointing. I didn't care about the sleep/wake button & protecting that, I've tried lots of cases that made using that button impossible. So I'm glad there's nothing covering it. I also really dislike cases with a "cutout" for the volume keys, I found myself pressing just as hard to activate those buttons with a cutout & bare keys as I do now with them covered.

Otherwise the grip not the sides are GREAT. Not slippery at all. Not that the iP5 is all that slippery (ok, maybe it is a little), but I find the grip welcome. The clear backing doesn't seem to scratch at all, though it has been just 24 hours. It has been in/out of my jeans pocket, the inside pocket of my jacket, and in & out of a Kensington windshield mount in my car…& it still looks brand new.

There doesn't appear to be a "lip" around the edge of the iPhone to keep the screen from touching the surface of the table/whatever when placed screen-down, but that's ok with me…right now. With the clear back not scratching at all, I'm not too worried or concerned about placing the iP5 on its back almost all the time.

Here are a few pics; sorry if the quality is crappy, I don't have any real good lighting in my home & it's quite overcast today.

Wow i like this case, i think that is just what i am looking for.

 

[BearsFan34]

Oh okay, I didn't realise from the pics that it's black on the edges. Now I've looked closer I can see it (duh).Okay so the harder plastic as you say will probably stay clear,that's good.As long as it doesn't scratch up I suppose.
I personally would rather have a completely clear case because I like the silver edges of the white iPhone.

Still working scratch-free on the clear plastic back. I take the iPhone in & out of a Kensington car windshield mount several times per day & in/out of my jeans' pocket several times per day also. Still looks great. This after 5 days.

I too looked at all-clear plastic cases. The ones I could actually see at retail stores (of which there aren't many) looked like they would scratch easily, like the freebie-from-Apple-antenna"gate" InCase Clear SnapCase for the iPhone 4. That thing scratched like a mofo after about a week of use. This Claro is so far/so good. I like the white/silver also, and I do wish iSkin would've gone either clear on the sides or a transparent/white color if any on the sides, but that's not a huge deal. It's a desire, but wasn't deterrent for me to buy one.

 

[BearsFan34]

Can you post a better pic of the bottom, maybe one with the adapter in it.

Certainly.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Certainly.

Thanks, I really think this is my new case. Too bad apple does not make a black version of the adapter.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Ok I pulled the trigger and ordered one, thanks for the tip

 

[jon08]

Hi, thanks for the review and the pics. It looks good! I think I might've found a case for my future iPhone 5 after all...

One thing that annoys me so far is the iSkin logo on the back of the case. Is there any way of removing that?

Btw OP, any update on the case 9 days into its use?

 

[BearsFan34]

Hi, thanks for the review and the pics. It looks good! I think I might've found a case for my future iPhone 5 after all...

One thing that annoys me so far is the iSkin logo on the back of the case. Is there any way of removing that?

Btw OP, any update on the case 9 days into its use?

No problem. Glad to help those find the case they do or don't want.

As for the logo on the back, I haven't attempted any way to take it off. Personally, it doesn't bother me...but I can totally see why it'd be a nuisance for others. It doesn't appear to be a "sticker," it looks like a silvery-shiny logo that's glued on & glued into the groove specifically made for the logo.

As for being 9-10 days in, I'm still quite happy with this case. In all honesty: I had NOT dropped my iP5 at all. And since I've had the Claro, I've dropped it twice now...though both times from a sweatshirt pocket and a pants pocket while sitting in a short chair to a carpeted floor. Thank goodness for the case nonetheless.

I have noticed 2 "scuffs" on the back of the case. Both are located in the corner OPPOSITE the camera hole at the top and bottom. I'm guessing they're from normal wear/tear or those carpeted drops. The only way to see these "scuffs" is to turn the iPhone to change the light reflection. Just at a glance picking up the case I can't "see" them.

The volume key covers are a bit of a pain still. I will say though, it was an extended holiday weekend for me, and I did not use a headset with my iPhone for 6-8 hours a day as I do when I'm at work. So the extra pressure needed to adjust the volume up/down without a headset was a bit of a pain, but I've become "trained" to double-click the home button and swipe to reveal the volume adjustment keys in order to adjust volume that way. I can still press the keys, but they require some extra pressure when I'm in a hurry & don't use the touchscreen controls. Still not a huge deal, but something to consider if you're a heavy hardware volume key button(s) user.

Still quite happy with my purchase. Minimal dust in between the case/iPhone. Sturdy. No scratches. A few scuffs, but they're not easily "see-able" and were caused by me being a little uncharacteristically careless.

 

[jon08]

Thanks. I'm almost ready to order, but I still find it quite pricey to be honest ($37 shipping included).

I wonder how something like this compares: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Thin-...188639?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item416eb45e5f

^^It'd somehow rather have a rubbery case since it's less likely to scratch the bezel (as opposed to a snap-on case like iSkin). Thoughts? Is iSkin pretty sturdy on the sides, or is it slightly softer around the bezel?

 

[BearsFan34]

Thanks. I'm almost ready to order, but I still find it quite pricey to be honest ($37 shipping included).

I wonder how something like this compares: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Thin-...188639?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item416eb45e5f

^^It'd somehow rather have a rubbery case since it's less likely to scratch the bezel (as opposed to a snap-on case like iSkin). Thoughts? Is iSkin pretty sturdy on the sides, or is it slightly softer around the bezel?

It is a bit pricey. I had a $5 off coupon I got AFTER I ordered it. So I contacted the company & they nicely credited my card the $5. There's a "Black Friday" sale that's been going on, not sure if it still is or not.

For what it's worth, I just watched a Chris Pirillo video ("Lockergnome" blog guy, does a lot of YouTube videos). He dropped his iPhone on the concrete & had to get his iPhone replaced. The case he showed in the video looks very similar to the one you've linked above. I have no idea if it's the same one in the link (it likely isn't), but thought I'd throw it out there.

The Claro has the "grippy" sides, which makes the case "feel" sturdy. In the short drop I had onto the carpeting, it felt decently strong to me. I've taken the iPhone in/out of the case for cleaning a few times & to show a family member who wanted to look at the case, and as far as I can tell, no scratches to this point from the case itself.

 

[jon08]

I decided to go with iSkin then, hopefully it will do its job well and won't scratch/scuff easily with everyday use.

I'm still waiting for my iP5 to arrive, btw.

Any update with your case?

 

[S.L.]

Looks nice. Is there any way to take off that iSkin logo? Thing is one of, if not, the ugliest logos I've seen for a case maker.

 

[BearsFan34]

I decided to go with iSkin then, hopefully it will do its job well and won't scratch/scuff easily with everyday use.

I'm still waiting for my iP5 to arrive, btw.

Any update with your case?

There are some light scuffs on the back, as you look at the iPhone in the case, on the right-hand corner (the corners opposite the camera) on the top and bottom. It's likely just from everyday use. I haven't tried to "buff" them out or anything, as the only way for someone anal-retentive like me to see them is to turn the case in the light to see them. At first glance, it's invisible. You have to look for it. I'm learning to chill out about it being perfect all the time (which is impossible) and just enjoy the iPhone with a case & be glad I have one. It's hard to do, but am taking baby steps.

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Looks nice. Is there any way to take off that iSkin logo? Thing is one of, if not, the ugliest logos I've seen for a case maker.

No, no way that I've found to take the logo off. It looks like it's a hybrid "sticker" that's heat-glued on and somehow embedded in the plastic of the case. I'd prefer a less conspicuous logo as well, but I don't believe there's a way to get it off.