Grove Announces Preorders for Redesigned iPhone 5 Bamboo Case

[MacRumors]

Grove, makers of bamboo cases for iPhones and iPads, has announced a redesigned made-in-USA iPhone case to be released soon after the next-generation iPhone goes on sale later this month.

This smart, innovative design involves the combination of two natural materials - a beautiful, renewable bamboo exterior and a strong, 100% post-consumer plant fiber composite core (say that five times fast). The whole team is pleased to present a case that is equal parts sustainable, durable, and eye-catching! In signature Grove style, we design and make the case entirely here at our workshop in Portland, Oregon.

[...]

Each Grove iPhone Case journeys through several days of hard work: milling, filing, gluing, sanding, soaking, oiling, lining, laser engraving, quality control, and packaging, before finally shipping directly to the customer. We take pride in finishing each of our pieces by hand to guarantee a smooth feel, an accurate fit, and unique artisan character.

Grove is asking interested customers to preorder by placing a $20 deposit, and promising a discount of $20 off the $79 price of the case, as well as earlier availability.

Preorders must be placed by September 30.

Article Link: Grove Announces Preorders for Redesigned iPhone 5 Bamboo Case

 

[669532]

Pros:
back

Cons:
front

 

[HE15MAN]

Pre-ordered mine a few hours ago

 

[adildacoolset]

pretty ballsy considering what happened last year

 

[Cougarcat]

pretty ballsy considering what happened last year

Last year there were no parts for that tapered design.

 

[cyberddot]

Beautiful cases, but the redesign was needed long ago. Glad they got around to it for the '5', since it looks like the liner will help reduce that split case situation with the original design. After 2 splits I was done.

 

[Yamcha]

I like the look of the case

 

[StevenHCarter]

I can understand vendors using a euphemism like, "preorder," to soften the blow to the customer who is surrendering money in advance for nothing more than a promise, but I think it time that journalists, whose product is words, use more accurate language. Failure to do so makes the author a party to the vendor's marketing rather than a neutral reporter.

There is no such thing as a, "preorder." A person either placed an or or did not.

This article is actually announcing acceptance of a paid reservations by the vendor. That is like airline travel. The customer pays now and the airline promises delivery of transportation at a future date. In other areas of life, we call that process a paid reservation. We don't say we preordered a flight to Florida for next week.

 

[sulpfiction]

Cases are really sweet, but they weigh and feel like nothing in ur hand. That's the nature of bamboo. but I've seen a ton of people hold grove cases and say they feel really cheap.

I'm gonna hold off until I see if the rumor about apples new case that's supposedly going to turn the case industry upside down, is true.

I love the week leading up to an iPhone announce. So much excitement!!!

 

[TXAppleUser]

Life is too short to use protection.

 

[jmgregory1]

I like my real wood wrap better - as it doesn't take away from (or add size to) the overall form factor like this bamboo case does. I'll wrap the 5 as soon as I get one because - well because I'm an owner of the wood company and need to show off our paper-thin wood.

 

[SmoMo]

I'm no paper expert, but...

I like my real wood wrap better - as it doesn't take away from (or add size to) the overall form factor like this bamboo case does. I'll wrap the 5 as soon as I get one because - well because I'm an owner of the wood company and need to show off our paper-thin wood.

Isn't paper already paper-thin wood?

 

[jmgregory1]

Isn't paper already paper-thin wood?

It's not paper, film or foil printed to look like wood - it's real wood. And it's never been sanded. It has enough tooth to make holding the slippery iP4S much less of a gamble.

The wood on the back glass is definitely doing it's job keeping the glass from getting scratched and the end result gives me a personalized iPhone that still has the same form factor as the naked iP4S.

 

[mankar4]

Isn't paper already paper-thin wood?

Yeah i just carry my iphone in an envelope always

 

[sulpfiction]

I like my real wood wrap better - as it doesn't take away from (or add size to) the overall form factor like this bamboo case does. I'll wrap the 5 as soon as I get one because - well because I'm an owner of the wood company and need to show off our paper-thin wood.

Wood wrap concept is pretty cool. But the cut around the camera is horrible. Makes the whole back look horrid.

 

[Koodauw]

I like my real wood wrap better - as it doesn't take away from (or add size to) the overall form factor like this bamboo case does. I'll wrap the 5 as soon as I get one because - well because I'm an owner of the wood company and need to show off our paper-thin wood.

This pic alone is reason enough to bring back down votes. That wrap looks awful.

 

[jlgolson]

This article is actually announcing acceptance of a paid reservations by the vendor. That is like airline travel. The customer pays now and the airline promises delivery of transportation at a future date. In other areas of life, we call that process a paid reservation. We don't say we preordered a flight to Florida for next week.

A flight reservation is for a service provided on a specific date.

A preorder for this case is a physical product that's being offered for future delivery when it is available.

 

[thelink]

Its made of wood! How original!

 

[HE15MAN]

pretty ballsy considering what happened last year

What was that?

----------

Cases are really sweet, but they weigh and feel like nothing in ur hand. That's the nature of bamboo. but I've seen a ton of people hold grove cases and say they feel really cheap.

I'm gonna hold off until I see if the rumor about apples new case that's supposedly going to turn the case industry upside down, is true.

I love the week leading up to an iPhone announce. So much excitement!!!

Hadn't heard those rumors yet.

 

[User3977]

$80 bucks for some bamboo wrapping and people complain about a $10 adapter?

 

[streetfoldsfive]

Please give a black band on the black iPhone

 

[queenieriri]

So cute, love it~~~

 

[freedevil]

No Amex= Fail Pre-Order!

 

[Mac_Max]

What was that?

Case makers using rumored form factors as the basis for prototypes and getting burned.

 

[mrmiagi]

Very bad luck with Grove products which bummed me out.

I was a very enthusiastic supporter for the Grove company. Bought two iPhone 4 cases and an iPad 2 case when they first came out. Both iPhone cases eventually split in multiple places even with gentle handling rendering them ugly and useless. I wrote Grove but they only offered me a half off replacement deal. That does not solve the problem of the cases splitting apart. I would have accepted half my money back instead to be fair.

The iPad case lost part of a corner suddenly. The leather screen cover warps in crazy ways depending on humidity levels in the air. Taking it on an airplane is comical to watch it bend up like a "U".

I really like the Grove idea and I rooted for them to succeed, but the products have failed miserably so far. They were very cool looking for the short time they lasted. I need more from a product than just looking cool for a short while. Not a supporter of Grove anymore...well until they get their product improved. Then I will be happy to buy from them again. So, here's hoping, Grove!!!