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Can't decide about a case, again.

B

benguild

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 29, 2003
827
39
I have a case on my iPhone 5. It has destroyed the phone!
Dirt and sand gets trapped inside, the case itself looks like **** now (it's clear) ... where as the front of the phone looks mint since I keep my phone in a separate pocket.

Honestly, I've dropped an iPhone 4S with a case onto the sidewalk, and the case saved it. — However, in this case, it's totally trashed the phone. ... What's everyone's consensus on cases for the iPhone 5? Is there one that's slim but not damaging? How do you keep the sand out?

EDIT: To clarify, the Apple Store is replacing my phone, and I don't want to trash the replacement.
 
Honestly, I've learned first hand having no case is the way to go. I had a spigen slim armor case on my 5. I thought it was the best medium case out there. Until I was at a cleveland Indians baseball game and I stood up for the natl anthem and it fell 2 feet to the ground. Keep in mind there was a lip protecting the screen from hitting the ground. And the whole bottom half of the screen got smashed. The height of that fall us the prescience of a case should not have done that. Unless your using an otterbox or perhaps a lifeproof, it is best to just roll with out a case.shows off the quality of the phone, plus it just takes one bad luck drop and the phone will break with some case on it.
 
I'm a traditionalist - I have 3 cases that I've purchased some variety of for the last 3 phones I've had:
1. Graft Concepts leverage - not the most protective for sure, really just a bumper with a fancy clasp...but I love the look and feel of it. Comfortable in the hand for day to day use, still thin, and the latest model has integrated buttons which definitely adds a little something to it:
http://www.graftconcepts.com/

2. Mophie juicepack/helium whatever the hell its called now. I hang onto one of these for those days when I KNOW I'm going to be away from my desk all day. It's definitely a bit more protection for the back and sides than the leverage, but no screen protection at all. Definitely adds a lot of heft to the phone as well. Obviously the big draw here is the back-up battery power.
http://www.mophie.com/iPhone-5-Power-s/118.htm

3. Otterbox - for those days when I know I'm going to be somewhere dirty/dusty, or that I'm going to have the desire to throw my phone (when I know, for example, a really irritating meeting is coming up) I go with this monster. It's huge, its heavy, its bulky, and the silicon doesn't hold its shape well. That having been said, Ive used these ever since the iphone 3G and, quite simply, it's fantastic protection for the device. The cases have gotten better looking over the years, but they're still certainly no fashion statement. I go with the defender myself:
http://www.otterbox.com/iPhone-5-Defender-Series-Build-Your-Own-Case/apl2-iphone-5-set,default,pd.html

I've never noticed any damage from the above, though some have reported scrapes on the sides of their phone from sliding it in and out of the mophie. The leverage is definitely the thinnest, lightest, and best looking - but it sounds like you really want something that will be more protective?
 
Smash...out of curiosity, how did you get the Apple Store to replace your phone? Was it for the nicks on the exterior or for another problem? I wish they would replace mine seeing as how it chipped so easily on the second day I had it.
 
robman74 said:
Smash...out of curiosity, how did you get the Apple Store to replace your phone? Was it for the nicks on the exterior or for another problem? I wish they would replace mine seeing as how it chipped so easily on the second day I had it.
Click to expand...

No it was for a technical defect, not a question of vanity. They all look like crap.
 
I don't have a 5, but the idea of marketing something that is 'jewel' like and then having to cover it up with a bulky case just rubs me wrong. Same with my 4 and 4S. I go with a bumper for minimal protection, but the beauty of the phone still shows through. They're just too damn slippery to go naked.

I've dropped my 4S pulling it out of my pocket - 3 feet to a tiled floor and it just bounced a few times with the bumper case, no damage. Would have shattered for sure without.
 
smash said:
I have a case on my iPhone 5. It has destroyed the phone!
Dirt and sand gets trapped inside, the case itself looks like **** now (it's clear) ... where as the front of the phone looks mint since I keep my phone in a separate pocket.

Honestly, I've dropped an iPhone 4S with a case onto the sidewalk, and the case saved it. — However, in this case, it's totally trashed the phone. ... What's everyone's consensus on cases for the iPhone 5? Is there one that's slim but not damaging? How do you keep the sand out?

EDIT: To clarify, the Apple Store is replacing my phone, and I don't want to trash the replacement.
Click to expand...

Off the top of my head,
-Poetic Atmosphere
-Switcheasy Tones
-Capdase .75mm tpu case
-Belkin Candy Grip Sheer
-Power Support Air Jacket (this one is an exception)

All these cases are slim and arent made of plastic, so they hug the phone tight, keeping dust out. You could also get a front and back protector and a bumper.
 
i've had:

Caudabe Veil
Spigen Slim Armor
Switcheasy Tones

None of these let any dust or dirt in. The Caudabe is my main case because of how thin it is, but the other two are great too.
 
You're mad because YOU didn't clean your phone on a regular basis? You problem is 100% avoidable, simply remove the case every few days and clean the dirt...... Issue solved and "anger" resolved.

OR take your chances and go without a case.... either way it's up to YOU to ensure you phone/case combo is clean so the "case" won't mess up your phone.

Of course you can also option for side pro, such as offered by www.theluckyskins.com
 
AFDoc said:
You're mad because YOU didn't clean your phone on a regular basis? You problem is 100% avoidable, simply remove the case every few days and clean the dirt...... Issue solved and "anger" resolved.
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point. Even after 1 day, if sand gets trapped inside or something... it's too late.

I was wondering if someone had some sort of rubberized case that didn't leave gaps for sand to get into. Or, maybe going caseless and getting lamination for the sides or something is a good idea. I don't know.

I agree that this problem can be solved, but I don't think that just any old case is the way to solve it.
 
I'm also in the Mophie Juice Pack camp. I never worry about a low battery. Even when I'm traveling. If I can't get to an electrical outlet inside of 2.5 full charges then I must be on a mission to Mars.
 
I know all about dust and debris getting caught into cases, but a quick cleaning every few days pretty much solves it. If you're in an environment where you saying dirt/sand/debris are getting in the case every day, you should look into something more protective like the Lifeproof Fre, Griffin Survivor, etc
 
SpyderBite said:
I'm also in the Mophie Juice Pack camp. I never worry about a low battery. Even when I'm traveling. If I can't get to an electrical outlet inside of 2.5 full charges then I must be on a mission to Mars.
Click to expand...

I've considered getting a Mophie, but just can't get around how thick they are. Ever have any issues with the added weight?
 
If you want dirt/dustproof look at the waterproof cases. The Otterbox Armor is my preferred choice for when I'm roughing it, but it's a beast of a case.
 
smash said:
I think you're missing the point. Even after 1 day, if sand gets trapped inside or something... it's too late.

I was wondering if someone had some sort of rubberized case that didn't leave gaps for sand to get into. Or, maybe going caseless and getting lamination for the sides or something is a good idea. I don't know.

I agree that this problem can be solved, but I don't think that just any old case is the way to solve it.
Click to expand...

side protection sounds like your best bet. www.theluckyskins.com is who I use but there are other options out there. Good luck as ANY case will cause this issue. Plus it takes a while for the grit to do it's thing so you probably won't have much going on after a day. I sold an i4s that was in a bumper for it's entire life with side protection and the band looked pretty much like new with only a few spots affected (those were on the bottom).
 
webslinger85 said:
I know all about dust and debris getting caught into cases, but a quick cleaning every few days pretty much solves it. If you're in an environment where you saying dirt/sand/debris are getting in the case every day, you should look into something more protective like the Lifeproof Fre, Griffin Survivor, etc
Click to expand...

Meh. What about those lamination things? Is there anything that doesn't turn yellow?
 
I just bought a spigen saturn... tomorrow I will get it in the mail... From internet it seems good... let see what happens, but I'm pretty confident.... with the 4s I had only the 2 screen protectors (front / back), but with the 5 I feel the need of a cover, only for preventing scratches...
 
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