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Deliro

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 20, 2011
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Any early purchasers can comment on how it’s holding up? Yellowing? How is the scratches? Any? Especially on the stainless steel Pro models. Searched for this and haven’t seen any reports.
 
I've had two of the MagSafe clear cases. The first one had some sort of cracks on the inside. The second one was better but both of them showed minor cracks at the bottom where the speaker opening is. I believe they are stress cracks because of how tight the cases fit my iPhone 12 Pro. I am living with the second one the cracks are very hard to see.

There are things I like very much about the case. It's the clearest clear case I've ever seen, it almost looks like glass, very smooth finish. Some clear cases look foggy especially around the buttons. I've had the case for a couple of months and there is no sign of yellowing and I don't expect to see any sign of yellowing. The finish is very glossy and doesn't seem to scratch easily although I'm very very careful with it. I don't carry it in my pocket. So despite the cracks that are hard to see I really like the case and don't expect the other clear cases would work as well for me.
 
I've had two of the MagSafe clear cases. The first one had some sort of cracks on the inside. The second one was better but both of them showed minor cracks at the bottom where the speaker opening is. I believe they are stress cracks because of how tight the cases fit my iPhone 12 Pro. I am living with the second one the cracks are very hard to see.

There are things I like very much about the case. It's the clearest clear case I've ever seen, it almost looks like glass, very smooth finish. Some clear cases look foggy especially around the buttons. I've had the case for a couple of months and there is no sign of yellowing and I don't expect to see any sign of yellowing. The finish is very glossy and doesn't seem to scratch easily although I'm very very careful with it. I don't carry it in my pocket. So despite the cracks that are hard to see I really like the case and don't expect the other clear cases would work as well for me.

I second this, I also want to add that I love the open bottom! Mine is also cracked on both bottoms, but it doesn't seem to get worse with time. It's not very visible.

I've also never had the corners pop out, like in many reports I've read about silicone and leather Apple cases.

The only issue I have with it, is that apart from it looking like glass, it also feels like glass, it's so slippery that I always have to be extra careful while carrying my iPhone.
I always feel like an accident is super easy to happen with this case on.

But, I also like this glass look/feel aesthetically, so I keep using it.

I considered getting the leather Baltic Blue, but I'm sure I'd miss the transparency of the clear one.

I was a diehard Apple silicone case fan for ages, but it was the first year I got a colored iPhone (Pacific Blue) and wanted to be able to see the gorgeous color of it.
I might turn to a diehard Apple clear case fan after this year
 
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I second this, I also want to add that I love the open bottom! Mine is also cracked on both bottoms, but it doesn't seem to get worse with time. It's not very visible.

I've also never had the corners pop out, like in many reports I've read about silicone and leather Apple cases.

The only issue I have with it, is that apart from it looking like glass, it also feels like glass, it's so slippery that I always have to be extra careful while carrying my iPhone.
I always feel like an accident is super easy to happen with this case on.

But, I also like this glass look/feel aesthetically, so I keep using it.

I considered getting the leather Baltic Blue, but I'm sure I'd miss the transparency of the clear one.

I was a diehard Apple silicone case fan for ages, but it was the first year I got a colored iPhone (Pacific Blue) and wanted to be able to see the gorgeous color of it.
I might turn to a diehard Apple clear case fan after this year
This is the first time someone has made me want this case. You have a real way with words!
 
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Thanks for the replies. The clear case is definitely a good looking case. I don’t mind the MagSafe ring. Really showcases the color of the phone. The cracks are a bit of a disappointment. But as long as it doesn’t exhibit the tons of micro scratches and hazing and yellowing of cheaper brands I’ll be happy.
 
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Thanks for the replies. The clear case is definitely a good looking case. I don’t mind the MagSafe ring. Really showcases the color of the phone. The cracks are a bit of a disappointment. But as long as it doesn’t exhibit the tons of micro scratches and hazing and yellowing of cheaper brands I’ll be happy.

I haven't noticed tons of micro scratches, just a few ones that are only visible under certain light.
But, I am always careful with my device, I only put it on soft surfaces, and in a specific pocket inside my bag, that has nothing else in it.

If I recall well, people who had the same case last year, said that it only got a bit yellow around the buttons after a long time, but the rest of it stayed clear.

As for the ring, before the case arrived, I wasn't sure how it was gonna look, but I actually like it, it looks kinda 3D, which makes it more cool!
 
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I had one major problem with the (MagSafe) clear case, and it was one Apple acknowledged, but couldn’t fix so I got a refund. When you use an Apple Wallet with the MagSafe clear case on an iPhone12 it doesn’t make a ding and give a circle to say it has recognised the Wallet. With the (black) silicone case you get a satisfying ding and circle when you add the Wallet, and a ding when you remove the Wallet. All you get with the clear case is a ding when you remove it. You can’t be sure the phone has recognised it When you put it on. I tried many combinations at the local Apple Store and they told me it was obviously a problem and I was given a refund. They told me to write to Tim Cook, gave me his email, but I never heard back. I’m happy with my black silicone case and Wallet but thought someone should know.
 
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It's so weird they got you to mail the CEO because of a fault on a case
Thanks - you’re the first person who has acknowledged Apple has a problem here. I agree with you. However, they didn’t see it as a fault with the product. They just said that’s the way it was. We tried different phones, different cases, and different wallets. Clear case just didn’t ding or give a circle.
 
Why settle for a case that's $50 and cracks?
The case has glass like clarity and uniformity. All edges and corners are smooth and perfect which is usual for Apple products. It's crystal clear but is thick enough to feel very protective. So I can live with a crack that I really have to try hard to see, meaning that it Has to be in exactly the right light and held at the exact right angle to see it. It maintains that clarity throughout the life of the phone. That means no yellowing. The glossy finish keeps looking new throughout the life of the phone and its use.

Other clear cases if you look at edges in the light they are irregular and reflect light in a very imperfect way. They are often cloudy looking. TPU clear cases need a grid of tiny bumps to stop the rainbow affect or wet affect. Where buttons occur they are not very transparent. All the extra bumps on corners and things for extra protection detract from the appearance in my opinion.

That's why I am willing to live with cracks that I can hardly see. The cracks in my experience never get worse and I don't think they significantly affect the protection the case provides.
 
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I bought the clear case when I got my 12 Pro. At first I thought it was a bit bulky and so I tried 3 other “slim” cases. One was a frosted clear case - I quickly found that I didn’t like the feel or look of the frosted. It just looked cheap. Another was a thin CPU. While it looked good at first, I felt it made the iPhone look like jello. And it got very smudged. Long story short, I’m back to the apple mag safe clear case and I really like it. The glass like finish is great. The buttons have gotten easier to use over time. It doesn’t really feel or look bulky now that I’m used to it. And the most important thing is that my iPhone took a pretty good fall onto the parking lot and while the case got a small crack, the iPhone came away protected. I don’t know if that would have been the case with any of the other “thin” cases I tried. At some point I might by a replacement since this one has the small crack from when it fell.
 
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How is the magnet strength vs. Apple leather/silicone case? Is it same ??

My wife has the 11 PM clear case…and that thing is great! Does the 12 PM clear case allow for a lot of dust to get into the case?
 
I’m still on my first one, but there will be a return, as mine has the same cracks mentioned above.

Magnet is just as strong as the Apple Leather and Silicone cases; I have all three - and the black wallet.

EDIT: absolutely ZERO visible micro scratches.
 
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How is the magnet strength vs. Apple leather/silicone case? Is it same ??

My wife has the 11 PM clear case…and that thing is great! Does the 12 PM clear case allow for a lot of dust to get into the case?
Answered your first Q above. The clear Apple case for the 12 Pro Max does not let very much dust in. As mentioned earlier. The fit is very snug. Probably why it’s open bottom, while the other two are not.

Caveat: I switch cases regularly and as close to perfectly as possible remove any dust before installing. Earlier point remains tho; when on, not much is let in.
 
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The case has glass like clarity and uniformity. All edges and corners are smooth and perfect which is usual for Apple products. It's crystal clear but is thick enough to feel very protective. So I can live with a crack that I really have to try hard to see, meaning that it Has to be in exactly the right light and held at the exact right angle to see it. It maintains that clarity throughout the life of the phone. That means no yellowing. The glossy finish keeps looking new throughout the life of the phone and its use.

Other clear cases if you look at edges in the light they are irregular and reflect light in a very imperfect way. They are often cloudy looking. TPU clear cases need a grid of tiny bumps to stop the rainbow affect or wet affect. Where buttons occur they are not very transparent. All the extra bumps on corners and things for extra protection detract from the appearance in my opinion.

That's why I am willing to live with cracks that I can hardly see. The cracks in my experience never get worse and I don't think they significantly affect the protection the case provides.
As I said just above, I’m on my first and will be getting a replacement soon. The cracks bother me, but you are right about seeing them. Also, I agree with what you wrote and yours may be my eventual stance on this case, if perfection fails.
 
As I said just above, I’m on my first and will be getting a replacement soon. The cracks bother me, but you are right about seeing them. Also, I agree with what you wrote and yours may be my eventual stance on this case, if perfection fails.
I have at times thought that the cracks were not in the actual polyurethane plastic but in the coating that Apple put on it so that it doesn't scratch easily and maintains clarity. It could be that coating is a little brittle so when the plastic of the case flexes the coating cracks. That may be why it is barely visible. Part of the corner cracking at the bottom looks like a blurred stress line rather than a crack.
 
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I have at times thought that the cracks were not in the actual polyurethane plastic but in the coating that Apple put on it so that it doesn't scratch easily and maintains clarity. It could be that coating is a little brittle so when the plastic of the case flexes the coating cracks. That may be why it is barely visible. Part of the corner cracking at the bottom looks like a blurred stress line rather than a crack.
I really don’t know, but that’s not an outrageous sounding possibility. Mine, however, distinctly seem to be visible as being inside the material. They look like material fatigue that any old plastic would suffer, if it were bent back and forth several times.
 
I really don’t know, but that’s not an outrageous sounding possibility. Mine, however, distinctly seem to be visible as being inside the material. They look like material fatigue that any old plastic would suffer, if it were bent back and forth several times.
I had two of the clear cases. With both of them I put the case on carefully once. I did not take them off and the cracks were there on both of them. It's not like I took them off and put them on several times. So the case did not have to endure a whole lot of stress. That's part of the reason I thought the coating, which might be weak and brittle, might've been the source of the crack. Polyurethane is the material they use in motorcycle helmets it should be strong enough and flexible enough to withstand being slipped on to a phone.
 
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As I said just above, I’m on my first and will be getting a replacement soon. The cracks bother me, but you are right about seeing them. Also, I agree with what you wrote and yours may be my eventual stance on this case, if perfection fails.
When you say you’re getting a replacement, do you mean asking apple to replace it free of charge? Have you successfully done this in the past? Just worried that they’ll claim it’s normal “wear and tear” and refuse.
 
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When you say you’re getting a replacement, do you mean asking apple to replace it free of charge? Have you successfully done this in the past? Just worried that they’ll claim it’s normal “wear and tear” and refuse.
Good questions, actually! I’ve been operating under the assumption that it’s less than a year old and thus still under warranty. And yea, I was hoping to get it replaced for free. We’ll see.
 
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Good questions, actually! I’ve been operating under the assumption that it’s less than a year old and thus still under warranty. And yea, I was hoping to get it replaced for free. We’ll see.
Well, @Boardiesboi, I just discovered a (more?) legitimate crack on one of the upper corner of mine. So, I’ll be pursuing that free (I hope!) replacement soon.

I thought and hoped it was a hair; but alas, it’s a crack.
 

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I had this case for a day even though I shouldn't have been, I was surprised by how hard it was to lock my phone. It's crazy how they're able to just nail it on the rest of their cases while this one is as bad as it is. Ultimately it was the dust inside that pushed me to return it. After pulling it off and cleaning/blowing a few times and still not getting it clean enough for my standards it went back in the box.
 
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