Incase Snap Case iPhone 5 review w/ pics

[sfgr415]

I've been a supporter of Incase products for quite some time now. I used to run both the Slider and Snap Case for my iPhone 4. Incase cases are definitely more expensive than your standard case, however, it is worth the minimalist design, great fit and finish, and great customer service.

Design: Like previous Snap cases, this case does not take away from the look of the iPhone. Very minimal. Does offer a lip around the edge in case you want to lay the phone on the screen, it will not touch the surface below. Although there is no top or bottom coverage, there is enough of a lip that if the phone were to stand vertically, the top or bottom does not touch the surface below. This design ensures there will be no problem connecting devices such as 30-pin adapters (I have tried) or headphones. The camera cutout in the rear is large enough that it will not affect the camera flash like the first gen of cases for the iPhone 4 did.

Fit & Finish: Definitely top quality here. Case fits nice and tight. Case material seems a bit stiffer than Snap cases for the iPhone 4/4S which is a good thing because those had a tendency to weaken and crack on the corners over time. This case has a nice soft rubber feel, just like it did for the 4/4S. The inside of the case is smooth. I have taken the case on and off a few times and it has not scratched any portion of the phone.

Price & Availability: $29. Definitely more expensive than many cases, however, cheaper or on par with pricing from the likes of Speck, etc. I ordered my case directly from Incase, www.goincase.com, however I saw a few of these at my local Apple store.

Fitment with Screen Protectors, Skins: This case did not work with my Zagg Invisibleshield HD full body protection. I removed the entire protection, although you can leave the screen protector on. This case should work with all front screen protectors.

 

[simplified587]

A couple of questions

Thanks a lot for the review and photos!! This was my favorite case for the iPhone 4!

A few questions for you

1. Could you confirm whether the case has the purple shades like the one in this post? The poster said that the case shows that tint under very bright light.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15938046/

2. Is this smoke black version available at the Apple Store? I saw an earlier post that said only the clear version (and the Snap Pro case) is available. The case is also still under "pre-order" on the Incase website with a 4-week wait time. I have a feeling that they might be fixing that purple tint issue of the earlier case.

 

[NJHitmen]

Very nice. Looks almost exactly like the Boxwave Minimus I'm currently using, with a slightly better fit (the Boxwave seems to bow out a tiny bit at each corner).

 

[sfgr415]

Thanks a lot for the review and photos!! This was my favorite case for the iPhone 4!

A few questions for you

1. Could you confirm whether the case has the purple shades like the one in this post? The poster said that the case shows that tint under very bright light.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15938046/

2. Is this smoke black version available at the Apple Store? I saw an earlier post that said only the clear version (and the Snap Pro case) is available. The case is also still under "pre-order" on the Incase website with a 4-week wait time. I have a feeling that they might be fixing that purple tint issue of the earlier case.

The case does have a very slight purple tint if you put the case (without phone) up against a bright light. Pretty sure its part of creating a smoked black case. When installed on the phone (black iPhone), the case does not look purple at all, regardless of lighting.

I did not see the smoke black case at the Apple store. You should try contacting Incase about availability. I ordered my case and received it 3 days later.

 

[kthnxshwn]

I have two Snaps, one from preorder and one later and both have a purple tint while under high lighting when looking at the aluminum part of the back.

 

[amymany]

i like the incase snap case

 

[Delorean2006]

Thanks a lot for the review and photos!! This was my favorite case for the iPhone 4!

A few questions for you

1. Could you confirm whether the case has the purple shades like the one in this post? The poster said that the case shows that tint under very bright light.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15938046/

2. Is this smoke black version available at the Apple Store? I saw an earlier post that said only the clear version (and the Snap Pro case) is available. The case is also still under "pre-order" on the Incase website with a 4-week wait time. I have a feeling that they might be fixing that purple tint issue of the earlier case.

i just received mine today after waiting for about 2+ weeks for it and i can say it does not have the purple tint to it when holding it under a bright lights, look like the black frost of old

 

[simplified587]

Comparison

i just received mine today after waiting for about 2+ weeks for it and i can say it does not have the purple tint to it when holding it under a bright lights, look like the black frost of old

I just got a case today and the case still have a purple tint. However, it is not nearly as bad as seen in some of the image. It turns out that the camera seems to exaggerate this issue.

Here are the comparison photos with the other two cases that I have.

From Left: Incase Snap Case, $1.88 generic thin case from ebay, Ringke Slim Case.

Incase Snap Case
The soft touch material feels very nice in the hand. Like the OP have said, it is very precise and fits the phone great. However, I am not a big fan of the fact that the edge above the volume controls is not covered and that the camera hole is large. It is the thickest but also the highest quality of all three.

Generic eBay Thin Case
I didn't expect much from this case since it is so cheap. It is the thinnest and lightest case of all three. Unlike the other two, this case also protected the top of the phone. It is quite loose fit and the edge above the volume controls bow out a bit. The material looks cheap but surprisingly it does not attract fingerprint at all, which is very nice.

Ringke Slim
This is also soft touch, although not as soft as the Snap Case. It is VERY tight fitting. I really like the cutout of this case, especially the one by the sleep/wake button (above the camera hole). Your finger fits nicely there when you want to press the button unlike the Snap Case where you feel the edge of the case. I didn't care for the white logo in the back and the fact that there is this paper sticker in the inside of the case. It also attracts fingerprint and feels "oily" after a while.

Overall, It's a tie between the Incase and the Ringke. However, I would not have paid $30 for the Snap Case (I got it in a bundle with the Incase Capsule headphones for $55 from goincase.com and I paid for them using the $50 certificate that I got for $25). The Ringke is more reasonably priced at $10.

 

[jumpmanjay23]

Is the Ringke semi-translucent?

For those that have the Black Frost Incase Snap Case: Is the back semi-translucent like the one for the iPhone 4? Anyone have shots of the back with the case on?

@simplified587: I was wondering for the Ringke if there is also semi-translucent for black? Looking at the pictures of this thing, it doesn't look like this is semi-translucent.

Thanks to everyone posting pics and mentioning the purple issue/non-issue!

 

[simplified587]

For those that have the Black Frost Incase Snap Case: Is the back semi-translucent like the one for the iPhone 4? Anyone have shots of the back with the case on?

@simplified587: I was wondering for the Ringke if there is also semi-translucent for black? Looking at the pictures of this thing, it doesn't look like this is semi-translucent.

Thanks to everyone posting pics and mentioning the purple issue/non-issue!

The Snap Case is a definitely not as translucent as the one for iPhone 4. I think it might also be because the back of the black iPhone 5 is all black (including the Apple Logo). You could see through the case if you have a very bright light shining at it but that is also when you will see the purple tint. The photo that I have above is of the back of the case with the phone inside it.

The Ringke, on the other hand, is completely opaque.