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iPhone 12 PM Apple case - clear, silicone or leather? My experiences and yours..

I've used Apple's silicone cases in the past and they didn't stay looking good for very long. Others love them so to each his own, I guess. The clear flexible case I ordered from Totallee looks good.. perfect cutouts and nice rim around the camera. Only time will tell how it holds up. I wanted to go careless but lost my nerve - with this case I can enjoy seeing how beautiful the gold design is on the phone.
 
I am currently using a Deep Navy and am enjoying it. I also have a Baltic Blue coming as well. Needless to say they are paired with the Pacific Blue Pro Max. I like the raised edge so you get screen protection. Mine fits like a glove, no problems with slipping and I like how it feels in hand. Not a lot of bulk but protective. So far, this is a winner for a daily choice.

I got a clear Otterbox Symmetry when I purchased the phone and am not using it. Protection on the frame of the phone is crazy good, but the buttons make it not so easy to use. It also smudges like crazy.

I've tried 2 from Spigen and am contemplating sending them back. Two that have been goto cases for me. The Neo Hybrid is the better of the two, the other being Rugged Armor. Both of these feel more flimsy than they have in the past.

I have a few more non Apple coming too because I like to change cases every so often and want some options for when I am more active. Working at home and day to day use, I have found the Silicone is a real gem.

Also, I've been using Phone Soap for a year, got mine before Covid. Great product! Just the other day I found a Samsung version on Woot for $39, I picked one up as a Christmas gift. There's a deal on an Aduro right now for $23. I have not tried it so can't vouch for the quality.
 
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I always get the leather cases, they always held up very well. I hike a whole lot and bike like crazy. Both mountain bike and road bike and Apple’s leather cases held up great through all the sweat and dirt. This time i got the clear case because the graphite is tooo nice to hide but the buttons were a pain to press so I got the black leather case today and it’s gorgeous. Specially now with the flat edges. I’m going to miss looking at the graphite though
 
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staggerlee41 said:
I am currently using a Deep Navy and am enjoying it. I also have a Balkan Blue coming as well. Needless to say they are paired with the Pacific Blue Pro Max. I like the raised edge so you get screen protection. Mine fits like a glove, no problems with slipping and I like how it feels in hand. Not a lot of bulk but protective. So far, this is a winner for a daily choice.

I got a clear Otterbox Symmetry when I purchased the phone and am not using it. Protection on the frame of the phone is crazy good, but the buttons make it not so easy to use. It also smudges like crazy.

I've tried 2 from Spigen and am contemplating sending them back. Two that have been goto cases for me. The Neo Hybrid is the better of the two, the other being Rugged Armor. Both of these feel more flimsy than they have in the past.

I have a few more non Apple coming too because I like to change cases every so often and want some options for when I am more active. Working at home and day to day use, I have found the Silicone is a real gem.

Also, I've been using Phone Soap for a year, got mine before Covid. Great product! Just the other day I found a Samsung version on Woot for $39, I picked one up as a Christmas gift. There's a deal on an Aduro right now for $23. I have not tried it so can't vouch for the quality.
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Balkan blue sounds awesome! It would be made from the best Mountain Latakia ;)
 
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Had the Apple clear case but the buttons were too hard to press and it was WAY to slippery for my liking. Returned it the next day
 
I have the black leather and black silicone and my partner has the clear case (all apple MagSafe ones).

SILICONE

Really nice case, just hate the silicone material, gets scuffed up very quickly, however, its better in some respects as it protects the metal band of the phone with the soft material around the edge, going to use this one when as my rough and ready case, when I am going to places that are dusty, dirty etc... as I feel it will protect my phone the best from dust and debris. Buttons are also nice.

LEATHER

This will be my primary daily driver, not material on the inside around the metal band, but its a much tighter fit than the silicone one. Plus it doesn’t mark easy at all and is quite durable. This is by far my favourite case. Buttons nice and clicky.

CLEAR

This is what I originally was planning on getting until I saw the ring on the back of it, personally, this is very un-apple to me. It picks up finger prints quite a bit, is a bit slippy and somehow feels bulkier than the other two types. Now had the ring on the back matches the colours of the iPhones I may have considered it. The buttons are also the hardest to press and the inside has no material protecting your phone from dirt and debris that may get between your phone and the case.

ADDITIONAL INFO

On my phone I have now removed the Belkin screen protector and replaced it with the ESR one, and I have to say it is FAR FAR better, edge to edge (apple cases go no where near the edges of the glass screen protector), no notch cut out, easy to apply and costs less than half the price of the Belkin one and you get a total of 3 screen protectors in the paclk. HIGHLY RECOMMEND... always used ESR in the past and decided to give Belkin a go this time thinking I would have a better quality protector... I guess it goes without saying you don’t always get what you pay for with screen protectors.
 
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James Godfrey said:
I have the black leather and black silicone and my partner has the clear case (all apple MagSafe ones).

SILICONE

Really nice case, just hate the silicone material, gets scuffed up very quickly, however, its better in some respects as it protects the metal band of the phone with the soft material around the edge, going to use this one when as my rough and ready case, when I am going to places that are dusty, dirty etc... as I feel it will protect my phone the best from dust and debris. Buttons are also nice.

LEATHER

This will be my primary daily driver, not material on the inside around the metal band, but its a much tighter fit than the silicone one. Plus it doesn’t mark easy at all and is quite durable. This is by far my favourite case. Buttons nice and clicky.

CLEAR

This is what I originally was planning on getting until I saw the ring on the back of it, personally, this is very un-apple to me. It picks up finger prints quite a bit, is a bit slippy and somehow feels bulkier than the other two types. Now had the ring on the back matches the colours of the iPhones I may have considered it. The buttons are also the hardest to press and the inside has no material protecting your phone from dirt and debris that may get between your phone and the case.

ADDITIONAL INFO

On my phone I have now removed the Belkin screen protector and replaced it with the ESR one, and I have to say it is FAR FAR better, edge to edge (apple cases go no where near the edges of the glass screen protector), no notch cut out, easy to apply and costs less than half the price of the Belkin one and you get a total of 3 screen protectors in the paclk. HIGHLY RECOMMEND... always used ESR in the past and decided to give Belkin a go this time thinking I would have a better quality protector... I guess it goes without saying you don’t always get what you pay for with screen protectors.
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Thanks, this is helpful. Considering the silicone either instead of, or in addition to, my Apple black leather.
 
James Godfrey said:
I would get it in addition to personally use one for rough environments and keep the leather for best 👍
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Yep, I’m thinking of going that route. Sigh... this was the year I was going to go minimal. Well, maybe I’ll find a favorite after a few weeks and gift the other one.
 
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Coming from a guy that has never purchased any type of official Apple case in the past, I am completely blown away by the fit of their 12MP silicone case. The tolerances are so tight that they’ve even managed to leave just enough of a gap between the screen and the sides of the case to where the gold stainless steel can be seen in between - looks almost like a halo!

You really struggle taking your phone OUT of the case once it’s in there, and that’s a great thing for me.

As far the feel of the case, it seems like Apple uses a softer feeling quality silicone than they use on their watch bands and I’m enjoying the overall silky but grippy material for my everyday carry.

But the smudges and stains it collects so easily are driving me crazy! The case is not even a week old and it seems like the fingers I use to secure the back of the case when I’m holding it have permanently marked it - I can’t get them off!
 
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My preference has always been the leather over silicone, but my wife has always preferred the extra grip of the silicone. Well this year might be the worst silicone cases Apple has ever made, so she finally switched to a blue leather case and it’s holding up impressively well so far.

I used the green then black leather case on the 11PM and then I always end up with a thin grippy clear case (Totallee on the 11PM) and an extra thin plastic case (recently had tozo, memumi).

So far for the 12PM I’m using the brown leather case which I am still on the fence about. There are a couple of issues with this year’s design, but the grip and leather conditioning are best in years!
 

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Same for me, but love the case otherwise.

Fanboi4life said:
But the smudges and stains it collects so easily are driving me crazy! The case is not even a week old and it seems like the fingers I use to secure the back of the case when I’m holding it have permanently marked it - I can’t get them off!
Click to expand...
 
So my Baltic Leather case came in today. The fit is great, just as is with my Silicone, color is fantastic as well. Both of the Apple cases I've received have great fit and I'm not experiencing the problems that others are reporting.

I'm going to keep the leather, but it'll likely take the 2nd seat to Silicone as my daily case. The leather case sits flush with the screen and I prefer having it sit above the screen to offer protection when the phone is placed face down. This is a must have for me on a daily case. I love the feel of the silicone case, it's silky smooth but provides a nice amount of grip to it without being too much so.

Regarding the smudges on silicone, yes it happens but I've been able to clean it off using lens cleaner wipes. Once cleaned, it looks fresh out of the box again. Granted, I've been using it for roughly 3 days.
 
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I have the leather for my Pro max, wife has silicone (for her phone you weirdos). I like the feel of my leather better. Nice and grippy and feels nicer IMO. Both cases provide enough friction to prevent the Magsafe puck from "sliding" off. Should be good for a car mount once I get my hands on one.
 
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I’ve never been a fan of Apple’s silicone cases, or the clear, mainly because they have been generally too big to the point where they change the look of the iPhone. My wife wanted an Apple leather case for her 12 Pro and although I wasn’t planning on getting one, it looked so good that I ordered one of the orange leather cases for my 12 Pro Max. I was not disappointed when it delivered last week. Fitment is good, handfeel is good, and I definitely like the fact that they covered the whole device this time, instead of leaving the bottom section open. I hardly ever plug my phone in, so they could cover up the Lightning port for all I care.
 
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staggerlee41 said:
So my Baltic Leather case came in today. The fit is great, just as is with my Silicone, color is fantastic as well. Both of the Apple cases I've received have great fit and I'm not experiencing the problems that others are reporting.

I'm going to keep the leather, but it'll likely take the 2nd seat to Silicone as my daily case. The leather case sits flush with the screen and I prefer having it sit above the screen to offer protection when the phone is placed face down. This is a must have for me on a daily case. I love the feel of the silicone case, it's silky smooth but provides a nice amount of grip to it without being too much so.

Regarding the smudges on silicone, yes it happens but I've been able to clean it off using lens cleaner wipes. Once cleaned, it looks fresh out of the box again. Granted, I've been using it for roughly 3 days.
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Thinking of getting silicone to trade off w my black leather too, so it’s helpful to hear your use case comparison. What color silicone case?
 
shr631 said:
Thinking of getting silicone to trade off w my black leather too, so it’s helpful to hear your use case comparison. What color silicone case?
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I have Deep Navy paired with my Pacific Blue 12 PM. Perfect pairing for me as blue and in particular, Navy Blue is my favorite color.

I have ordered/recieved 5 non Apple Cases, 1 that I bought when I purchased the phone in store in addition to the Silicone and Leather cases. I have tried OtterBox Symmetry (clear), Spigen Rugged Armor, Spigen Neo Hybrid, Spigen Slim Armor and Incipio Grip. The two that I like best of these are the Slim Armor and Incipio. These both would be more protective. There are times where I'd want that as in when I'm more active and not staying indoors.

After using the Silicone since the day I received it, it is the one that truly stands out. Of all of them, the silicone adds protection from scratches, feels better than any of them in hand and adds the least amount of bulk. Leather is fantastic also and I like it, but I like that the lip on the silicone is raised so when I place the phone down, the case makes contact with the surface rather than the screen on my 12 PM. If the leather was the same way, then it would be a very tough call for daily use. One other thing, due to the large size of the camera's lenses, the frame on the silicone case sticks up when you lay it on it's back, but that's a small trade off to me. Actually, because of this, it makes picking up the phone a bit easier if anything. So maybe that's a win?

I will purchase a Caudable case when they are in stock once again to have something that gives me max protection and minimum bulk. I have seen them mentioned several times on the forum so I want to understand what the hype is all about. They are out of stock now.
 
staggerlee41 said:
I have Deep Navy paired with my Pacific Blue 12 PM. Perfect pairing for me as blue and in particular, Navy Blue is my favorite color.

I have ordered/recieved 5 non Apple Cases, 1 that I bought when I purchased the phone in store in addition to the Silicone and Leather cases. I have tried OtterBox Symmetry (clear), Spigen Rugged Armor, Spigen Neo Hybrid, Spigen Slim Armor and Incipio Grip. The two that I like best of these are the Slim Armor and Incipio. These both would be more protective. There are times where I'd want that as in when I'm more active and not staying indoors.

After using the Silicone since the day I received it, it is the one that truly stands out. Of all of them, the silicone adds protection from scratches, feels better than any of them in hand and adds the least amount of bulk. Leather is fantastic also and I like it, but I like that the lip on the silicone is raised so when I place the phone down, the case makes contact with the surface rather than the screen on my 12 PM. If the leather was the same way, then it would be a very tough call for daily use. One other thing, due to the large size of the camera's lenses, the frame on the silicone case sticks up when you lay it on it's back, but that's a small trade off to me. Actually, because of this, it makes picking up the phone a bit easier if anything. So maybe that's a win?

I will purchase a Caudable case when they are in stock once again to have something that gives me max protection and minimum bulk. I have seen them mentioned several times on the forum so I want to understand what the hype is all about. They are out of stock now.
Click to expand...
Very helpful rundown, esp w the 3rd party comparisons. Seems like Apple silicone is competitive!
 
VSMacOne said:
My preference has always been the leather over silicone, but my wife has always preferred the extra grip of the silicone. Well this year might be the worst silicone cases Apple has ever made, so she finally switched to a blue leather case and it’s holding up impressively well so far.

I used the green then black leather case on the 11PM and then I always end up with a thin grippy clear case (Totallee on the 11PM) and an extra thin plastic case (recently had tozo, memumi).

So far for the 12PM I’m using the brown leather case which I am still on the fence about. There are a couple of issues with this year’s design, but the grip and leather conditioning are best in years!
Click to expand...

Are you on the fence about the color or just the fit and quality in general?
 
Why is everyone saying their leather case does not have the lip around the front like the silicone...??? Mine does?
 
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