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iPhone 5S Case (Extremely Light, No bulk) ?

A

andy8

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
156
1
Hi All,

I don't know which case I should be purchasing for the iPhone 5S.

I am very careful with the device and I don't need something bulky like the Otterbox to protect the phone. I need a case that's very lightweight, thin and doesn't add bulk and that takes care of minor scratches.

Any recommendations - perhaps something that you have
used or using currently ?
 
andy8 said:
Hi All,

I don't know which case I should be purchasing for the iPhone 5S.

I am very careful with the device and I don't need something bulky like the Otterbox to protect the phone. I need a case that's very lightweight, thin and doesn't add bulk and that takes care of minor scratches.

Any recommendations - perhaps something that you have
used or using currently ?
Click to expand...

The new Apple 5s leather case. Very light, very thin, feels great.
 
Ajaredic said:
Got the slim armor and love it. Fits perfectly.
Click to expand...

Interesting. What if Slim Armor is compared to Spigen Ultra Hybrid ? Suppose the latter could be lighter. But I'm unsure if its of good quality as I've read some bad reviews about it, mainly due to scratches on the back even after the removal of plastic.
 
The new leather case is the best phone case I've ever bought.

There are thinner out there, but my iPhone fits in my pants' coin pocket with the 5S case on.
 
I love the Magpul field case. I had one on my 4S and I got the same for my 5S. It's really thin and light, and provides a lot of grip for your phone too. Very inexpensive, really high quality, and they're made in the USA! Can't ask for more.
 
mugtastic said:
looks nice - does it add any grip or is it hard/smooth?
Click to expand...

Hard to explain...both. It has a matte finish, but the matte finish is still smooth. Has a high-quality feel to it. More grippy than the naked iPhone, as grippy as most cases with smooth TPU exteriors, but obviously not as grippy as something textured. More towards the smooth side, but I haven't had any grip issues for my usage. I keep a Spigen Slim Armor S handy for times when I know the Veil isn't appropriate.

----------
andy8 said:
Fantastic case. The only thing I miss with this is the lay-on-table design.
Click to expand...

I like it specifically because it doesn't have any lip. I bought it because I wanted as close to naked as possible. There are other thin jackets out there that do have a lip. This one hugs the chamfers nice and tight.
 
tygrubb said:
Hard to explain...both. It has a matte finish, but the matte finish is still smooth. Has a high-quality feel to it. More grippy than the naked iPhone, as grippy as most cases with smooth TPU exteriors, but obviously not as grippy as something textured. More towards the smooth side, but I haven't had any grip issues for my usage. I keep a Spigen Slim Armor S handy for times when I know the Veil isn't appropriate.

----------



I like it specifically because it doesn't have any lip. I bought it because I wanted as close to naked as possible. There are other thin jackets out there that do have a lip. This one hugs the chamfers nice and tight.
Click to expand...


thanks - sounds like a great compromise when tempted but hesitant to go au naturel.
 
i vote for the spigen neo hybrid! i have had dozens of cases, tied for first is the spigen neo hybrid with a lay on the table design and full protection while being very thin, or the apple leather case which i got today which is also very nice!
 
mugtastic said:
thanks - sounds like a great compromise when tempted but hesitant to go au naturel.
Click to expand...

For every iPhone I've ever had, without exception, I always end up going naked with it after spending tons of money on various cases. Always. Granted, I have always ended up with scratched and nicks, but they haven't been that bad and don't get noticed in everyday usage. So this time, when the urge to get a case for a case's sake struck, I hoped to short-circuitry the usual cycle and save myself some money by buying a thicker-duty case for when I know I need and just going naked the rest of the time. So that Veil is sort of a bonus with the scratch- and maybe minimal/ one-time kamikaze drop protection (would prefer that it absorb the blow and crack to protect the phone, it's inexpensive enough to replace). The Veil just happens to be so thin that it feels almost like naked. If it were any thicker I wouldn't use it.

I tried skins before....they get ratty and dingy and collect grime at the edges after a while. Hopefully this will stay clean. Time will tell.
 
The Veil is so thin yet sturdy, Caudabe should consider going into the prophylactic business.
 
SuperSnake2012 said:
I love the Magpul field case. I had one on my 4S and I got the same for my 5S. It's really thin and light, and provides a lot of grip for your phone too. Very inexpensive, really high quality, and they're made in the USA! Can't ask for more.
Click to expand...

I second this one. Dropped my phone face down on concrete last night and it withstood the impact.
 
Tyler23 said:
The new Apple 5s leather case. Very light, very thin, feels great.
Click to expand...
For potential buyers, a downside of Apple's own offering is that it cannot accommodate Apple's own 30-pin to lighting adapter. Since I often need to plug my iPhone into my car's system for charging, and since that cable predates the lightning connector so I must use an adapter, Apple's case was a non-starter.

A shame, otherwise it looks ideal.
 
DynaFXD said:
For potential buyers, a downside of Apple's own offering is that it cannot accommodate Apple's own 30-pin to lighting adapter. Since I often need to plug my iPhone into my car's system for charging, and since that cable predates the lightning connector so I must use an adapter, Apple's case was a non-starter.

A shame, otherwise it looks ideal.
Click to expand...

I use a 30-pin car connection also. Don't bother with the standard Lightening to 30..."block", I'll call it. Get the 0.2m (8 inch) L-to-30 adaptor that has a short cable on it between the standard-sized Lightening plug and the 30-pin plug. This works great and even made it less bulky in my car than before. I used it with the Apple leather case without issue. I've since switched to a Spigen Slim Armor S and then a Caudabe Veil and haven't had any fitment issues with either.
 
tygrubb said:
I use a 30-pin car connection also. Don't bother with the standard Lightening to 30..."block", I'll call it. Get the 0.2m (8 inch) L-to-30 adaptor that has a short cable on it between the standard-sized Lightening plug and the 30-pin plug. This works great and even made it less bulky in my car than before. I used it with the Apple leather case without issue. I've since switched to a Spigen Slim Armor S and then a Caudabe Veil and haven't had any fitment issues with either.
Click to expand...

From what I've read, the .2m is still too big to fit the case, the housing around the plug is larger that the standard cable
 
webslinger85 said:
From what I've read, the .2m is still too big to fit the case, the housing around the plug is larger that the standard cable
Click to expand...

That's what I read, too, but I used the actual thing without issue. Of course, I ditched the leather case for other reasons and didn't inspect it too closely, but when I did use it the plug seemed to fit just fine. It appeared to be the same size as the Lightening plug on the cable that came with the phone.
 
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