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Silicone vs Leather Case

M

macguy11

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 19, 2011
41
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Just preordered iPhone 7+ 128GB. I currently have a silicone case on my 6 but I'm curious for the opinion of people who have owned both cases. I want something that won't slip out of my hands. I like the silicone but it has peeled a bit.

This is my first 'Plus' phone, so which one should I go for?
 
The leather case has a great feel to it, IMO. However, it does mark up easily and fade after a while since it is treated leather. It's all up to you.

Otterboxes are solid, also.
 
I bought a leather case for my 6 and used it on my 6S.

I found it preferable to the silicone cases as it didn't tend to get stuck in your pocket as some silicone cases do. It ages but in a good way, as most leather things do.

I've ordered the leather case for the 7+ and it should be here next week, 2 weeks before my new phone arrives.
 
I've used the silicone, primarily because I have my phone with me at the gym and can easily wash the case when it gets germ-ridden and filthy (as it often does).
 
I had the leather for the 5s for over 2 years. Loved it. Debating it for the 7 but it's so pricey I might just get a simple black case.

Then again, they last a while.
 
I prefer the silicone myself. It's a bit less slippery in the hand I find, and it's prevented a drop or 2 by me just because of that I reckon.
 
I've had both cases on both the regular and Plus sizes.

The leather cases are 100% better in every aspect. They last longer (won't fray or peel), look better and feel better.

Something as simple as pulling them out of your pocket will be a much easier process with the leather. This is especially true with the Plus size phones.

At first, the silicon cases feel amazing. But after the treated coating starts to wear off, it becomes increasingly grippy in pockets... not to mention the look of a peeling silicon case.

It's an $800+ phone, spend the extra $10 and get the better quality. My .02
 
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I actually feel the opposite of ClutchThese. Silicon>leather for me. The leather doesn't hold up well over time. Just search for the photos here on the forum. If you get any other color than black, it will start to change colors and pick up dirt. If the leather gets wet, it'll leave a wet mark.

On the other hand, my two silicon cases still look brand new--no flaking or peeling. But I do agree about the pocket thing.

Edit: found the thread on worn leather cases: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...r-space-gray-ip6-ip6s-updates.1916469/page-21. Some do look good, while others, not so much.
 
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ClutchThese said:
I've had both cases on both the regular and Plus sizes.

The leather cases are 100% better in every aspect. They last longer (won't fray or peel), look better and feel better.

Something as simple as pulling them out of your pocket will be a much easier process with the leather. This is especially true with the Plus size phones.

At first, the silicon cases feel amazing. But after the treated coating starts to wear off, it becomes increasingly grippy in pockets... not to mention the look of a peeling silicon case.

It's an $800+ phone, spend the extra $10 and get the better quality. My .02
Click to expand...

How would you compare the protection of each? I'd like an official leather case, but I worry about drop protection so I alway end up getting a spigen or a tech 21 (which I like).

I just always wanted to try one of the official Apple cases.
 
Coffee50 said:
How would you compare the protection of each? I'd like an official leather case, but I worry about drop protection so I alway end up getting a spigen or a tech 21 (which I like).

I just always wanted to try one of the official Apple cases.
Click to expand...
I believe the protection to be quite good. It's not an Otterbox, but it's good.

Each of the two cases in question are build on a hardened plastic core. Both have a felt/suede interior so it doesn't scratch your phone (unlike all plastic cases which will trap dirt and scratch).

CooKieMoNs7eR said:
Does it get discolored over time?
Click to expand...

I also LOVE the color of the cases as they change. I think it brings an interesting dynamic to the cases.

One thing that I haven't read yet is the leather cases almost have an ability to "absorb" scratches. What I mean is leather is very durable and when a small mark somehow shows up, a lot of them will eventually be worked out with a simple rub of your finger. More persistent marks will work themselves out with time as well. Obviously if you rip or tear the leather somehow, it doesn't repair itself.
 
I had the apple leather case for my 6+. I'll admit I loved the case except for one minor problem which actually made me stop using it. I some how managed to get a very slight "tear", I guess would be the most appropriate word, right where my index finger would rest on the back of the phone. As stated above the leather doesn't repair itself so the tear annoyed me so bad I couldn't use the case any more. A little extreme, maybe, but I couldn't stand feeling like I always had "something" under my index finger.
 
image.jpg

This is what I'm talking about. I'm currently using this silicon case. As you can tell, the silicon doesn't exactly hold up forever. This is about a year old.
 
I have both for my iPhone 6 (saddle brown leather and silicone lime green), but use a different case, which is a convo for another thread. The leather case has a nice feel to it and it's slightly thinner than the silicone case. Slightly better form factor IMO. I found the silicone case to be too sticky. I placed an order for the iPhone 7 silicone case - black. I'm thinking of canceling my order and grabbing the leather case in either black or saddle brown, leaning towards black.
 
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I bought the Apple leather case with my 6s+, and used it for about two weeks before I put it in a drawer forever.

Bad:

- The lip around the edge is slightly higher than the screen, so it hinders side-swiping and invoking the app switcher via left side force touch, two things I do constantly.

- It's slippery as hell. Especially after it gets polished in your pockets for a few weeks. I dropped mine several times. It's as bad or worse than a "naked" iPhone.

- It's heavy. Not in the big scheme of things, but even a couple ounces is noticeable on these phones.

- Shows every scratch and water stain on the leather.

- Collects fine grit, which over time will etch your aluminum. I personally didn't use it long enough to experience this, but others have.

- Volume/power buttons are hard to press.

Good:

- Attractive case.

- Does offer some real protection.

Yeah, that's about it. :(
 
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And here's my year old case. Excuse the iPad quality of the photo :)
 

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Does anyone here have experience with the new iPhone 7 Plus cases from Apple?
I know that they've changed the buttons on the leather cases. Are there any other improvements?

I'm also undecided between leather (midnight blue) or silicone (black). I'm getting the matte black iPhone 7 Plus.

Is silicone really peeling off that quickly in the corners / in general?
 
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