iPhone 5 launch day was a scramble in my area as I'm positive it was in most places around the United States. When my iPhone was dropped off by UPS I didn't dare to open it until I had a case as I am an extremely cautious person. I have ordered the Sector 5 from Element Case but it just shipped today and at that point I knew it would be a long wait until it arrived. Heading out to RadioShack, I found only one case left on the barren iPhone 5 case display. It happened to be the Body Glove DropSuit (in black) so I picked it up because of the sheer fact that I needed a case. Having now used it for a while, I feel well-versed and have used it enough to be pretty accurate in my experiences.
Design: 8/10
After getting this case home and putting it on my iPhone, I realized that it looked quite good. I am a person who loves sharp corners and edges in design and the back pattern of ridges along the exterior was perfect in my mind. Many comments have been made to me about how great it looks and the fact that many of the outsets appear to translate to the sides and front of the case makes the case look extremely fluid. The raised parts actually make it easier to hold in your hand as well. On the rear of the case, the camera is nicely faded into by the case rather than a flat edge around the hole. Also on the rear, the small textured lines give it an odd but alternate feel that propels the design even further. The only flaw I've found with the design is the line running around the sides of the case where two halves were obviously fused together. There was, in no way, any attempt to make the junction less noticeable and it does slightly take away from the sleek look of the case.
Accessibility: 6/10
When I first got this case it worked out great with every accessory I used...except there was only one accessory I had: the stock Lightning Cable. The power button is surprisingly easy to push because the case becomes thiner in the top center. Although I don't use the vibrate toggle or volume buttons extremely often (my phone is mostly on vibrate and I use the on-screen volume controls) they are neither difficult or easy to get to. The recession of the case is a small amount but the buttons are also pretty small so you do have to get your finger in a small slot to get to them. These previous two areas definitely aren't a deal-breakers though. My rating of accessibility dropped to a six because of the charging port. The stock cable works wonderfully and easily connects. I love listening to Spotify in my car though and since I drive a dinosaur (actually only a '99 CRV) there is no bluetooth radio, only an archaic 30-pin connector. Because of this inconvenience it was necessary to purchase an adapter from Apple. The adapter doesn't work with this case - an extreme frustration. Two supporting strips of rubber link the bottom sides of the case together and sturdy that bottom piece below the home button that always seems to be very flimsy. They are in the way and the adapter sits flush with the iPhone when plugged in so the case renders my iPhone useless in the car. This last reason is why I am eagerly awaiting my new Sector.
Durability: 8/10
The case certainly won't hold up if being ran over by a car but, in terms of general use, its one of those that can take a hit if you drop your phone. The rear edges and sides are actually quite thick. I measured the rear to be at least 1/8'' thick at the camera opening which is a lot for a minimalistic case. The four corners of the iPhone are reinforced even more than the rest of the phone in a fashion that coincides with the case design itself. The case feels durable in your hand and when putting it on you will notice that it isn't as flimsy as most rubber cases with no plastic reinforcement. Sometimes cases like this one will have a tendency to get loose around the edges after being used for a while and will slip out of the rubber case they are in, however, I can tell that this case won't have that problem. The case sits firmly in place and there is no movement or sliding around inside of it. Although I have not dropped my iPhone 5 yet (knock on wood) I predict this case will aid it in withstanding normal drops and fumbles.
All in all, the case was a great purchase for $24.99 - much better than comparable cases at the same price I have bought in the past. I recommend it for the users who are occasionally rough with their phone but still want a great looking case. Be warned though, this case should be a no-buy if you are planning on using any adapters or old dock accessories with it.
Design: 8/10
After getting this case home and putting it on my iPhone, I realized that it looked quite good. I am a person who loves sharp corners and edges in design and the back pattern of ridges along the exterior was perfect in my mind. Many comments have been made to me about how great it looks and the fact that many of the outsets appear to translate to the sides and front of the case makes the case look extremely fluid. The raised parts actually make it easier to hold in your hand as well. On the rear of the case, the camera is nicely faded into by the case rather than a flat edge around the hole. Also on the rear, the small textured lines give it an odd but alternate feel that propels the design even further. The only flaw I've found with the design is the line running around the sides of the case where two halves were obviously fused together. There was, in no way, any attempt to make the junction less noticeable and it does slightly take away from the sleek look of the case.
Accessibility: 6/10
When I first got this case it worked out great with every accessory I used...except there was only one accessory I had: the stock Lightning Cable. The power button is surprisingly easy to push because the case becomes thiner in the top center. Although I don't use the vibrate toggle or volume buttons extremely often (my phone is mostly on vibrate and I use the on-screen volume controls) they are neither difficult or easy to get to. The recession of the case is a small amount but the buttons are also pretty small so you do have to get your finger in a small slot to get to them. These previous two areas definitely aren't a deal-breakers though. My rating of accessibility dropped to a six because of the charging port. The stock cable works wonderfully and easily connects. I love listening to Spotify in my car though and since I drive a dinosaur (actually only a '99 CRV) there is no bluetooth radio, only an archaic 30-pin connector. Because of this inconvenience it was necessary to purchase an adapter from Apple. The adapter doesn't work with this case - an extreme frustration. Two supporting strips of rubber link the bottom sides of the case together and sturdy that bottom piece below the home button that always seems to be very flimsy. They are in the way and the adapter sits flush with the iPhone when plugged in so the case renders my iPhone useless in the car. This last reason is why I am eagerly awaiting my new Sector.
Durability: 8/10
The case certainly won't hold up if being ran over by a car but, in terms of general use, its one of those that can take a hit if you drop your phone. The rear edges and sides are actually quite thick. I measured the rear to be at least 1/8'' thick at the camera opening which is a lot for a minimalistic case. The four corners of the iPhone are reinforced even more than the rest of the phone in a fashion that coincides with the case design itself. The case feels durable in your hand and when putting it on you will notice that it isn't as flimsy as most rubber cases with no plastic reinforcement. Sometimes cases like this one will have a tendency to get loose around the edges after being used for a while and will slip out of the rubber case they are in, however, I can tell that this case won't have that problem. The case sits firmly in place and there is no movement or sliding around inside of it. Although I have not dropped my iPhone 5 yet (knock on wood) I predict this case will aid it in withstanding normal drops and fumbles.
All in all, the case was a great purchase for $24.99 - much better than comparable cases at the same price I have bought in the past. I recommend it for the users who are occasionally rough with their phone but still want a great looking case. Be warned though, this case should be a no-buy if you are planning on using any adapters or old dock accessories with it.