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With a screen protector it would definitely be flush. I’m probably in the minority around here. I’ve never liked screen protectors.
Fingerprints behave like any Aramid fiber case. If you have oily, wet hands it’ll definitely mark it up. But easy wipe off.
It’s definitely a niche case but I’m very satisfied with it. This and the Apple silicone are two favorites this year.
Thanks for the info! Sounds like a great alternative to the Pitaka at a better price.
Thanks for the detailed write up! I'm glad I ordered the Benks Golden Tide instead of the Pitaka.
nice to see you back. no idea on those cases. the mous cases have gotten positive comments here except for the cutout. check out @TechnicallyTee on youtube.
Still waiting on my Benks Aurora ArmorAir for my white 16 Pro Max. Tracking shows no movement beyond label created last Thursday and now “Your item departed a shipping partner facility at 7:24 am on September 29, 2024 in WHITTIER, CA 90601. A delivery date will be provided when USPS receives the package.”My Benks Armor Air arrived and I definitely prefer it over Pitaka MagEZ.
First the price difference Pitaka was roughly $53 and Benks roughly $37.
The Benks doesn’t have that super sharp silver ring around the camera. I much prefer the Benks camera ring with small branding.
Speaking of branding, not a big fan of the big silver “PITAKA” branding on the bottom of the case.
The bottom of Benks is full coverage with very small slits. The bottom of Pitaka has a complete cutout around the charging port.
The lip on the Pitaka is literally a negative lip meaning it goes in and negates a lip completely on the top and bottom of the case. Benks’ design doesn’t have that at all there’s an actual little lip on every part of this case no negative lips.
Quality of the Benks feels just as nice as Pitaka.
To me the Benks is the all around winner here.
The USPS shipping label must have been created before it ever left China or wherever its coming from.
I’m trying to hold out for the Phone Rebel Air and eventually the free dbrand Ghost 2.0. Tempted by the Phone Rebel Frosted but my wife had at least one, maybe two Phone Rebel clear cases for her 15 Pro and the back of the case cracked. I liked the regular Phone Rebel on my 14 Pro Max but I want something a little thinner while still having good grip and good magnets. Does such a case exist?
It was stagnant for me the same way for a little while.
They start with DHL then it gets transferred to USPS once it’s local in your area.
It should arrive soon to you soon since it’s been since last Thursday. It took 8 days in total to arrive to me. So I’m guessing by Friday for you.
I’m assuming you’ve seen the big cutouts on the Mous cases this year? Not a great look in my opinion. Also leaves the phone vulnerable in that area:
I have the Benks for my 16 pro. With a screen protector I can confirm there is no longer any lip, even though it was very small before the screen protector. Still my favorite case - and I agree VS the Pitaka it is a better deal!
im running this same case and I keep gravitating back to it!
I went back & checked - my wife had the Phone Rebel Crystal for a month and a half and the back already cracked. They replaced it for free with a Rebel case. Not confident in the Crystal’s durability.
Does anyone remember Evutec phone cases? I used to love those!
Yes! I loved my Evutec case back in the day. We’re talking like iPhone 7 Plus days lol
Hi! I can speak to the Mous Clarity. I like it, but I don’t think it’s worth the price tag. It’s a solid case, nice grip, good buttons, all that. But it can be scratch prone on the inside. Which, I mean it’s plastic. So it kind of is what it is. I don’t know that I would get it again though. But a friend of mine loves his Mous Clarity on the 16 Pro, so it’s in the eye of the beholder. I do have a Caudabe Sheath on the way though, and I am very excited about that.
UAG Monarch Pro magsafe case in 'Rust' on my 16PM with the Spigen EZfit screen protector installed; zero issues
Has anyone tried the Spigen Thin Fit? I remember having one back in the day, like iPhone 11 days. Thin rigid case with soft touch texture made it great for grip while being thin. I think I switched off of it because they didn’t have MagSafe - not sure when they added it to that line.
I have the apple silicone case since release now. in the beginning I was very satisfied. However as expected, after a couple of weeks friction on the silicone increased by everyday use, where now the texture isnt as smooth anymore, so I have trouble putting it into my pocket and/or pulling it out. this was what drove me off of them years ago, and it seems that nothing has changed production wise since (pbbly not much they can do about it). so that is very annoying to me.
on the other hand, grip in my hand increased, and I always considered it very well protected.
Based on what of the above is more important to you, I guess you should give it a try. Camera control is very satisfying with the button.
on the other hand, grip in my hand increased, and I always considered it very well protected.
Based on what of the above is more important to you, I guess you should give it a try. Camera control is very satisfying with the button.
So after all the positive feedback on the silicon, and the button situation, I went and bought one. Haven’t used one in years, and to be fair I was never much of a fan bc of pocket-ability, durability and lint…
Got it yesterday and it’s already off. Not a “bad case”- decent feel in the hand but it still attracts lint some, can see where greasy fingerprints may be a long term issue. Very slim though, nice quality. Compared to the sheath, I much prefer the sheath even with the cutout. It’s much more pocket friendly, and I know from experience, they hold up better. Also got a spigen frosted black and the Caudabe synthesis… the sheath just has been the best I’ve been able to find. Be great to have a button vs cut out, but that’s kind of where we all are…
Thanks!
Yes if the Sheath worked on the button it would be perfect, also because I am waiting Mezzo for the Airpods. I was reading here on the forum though that Caudabe has apparently communicated that they have no plans to do that. Too bad.
I am curious to see what Dbrand will do with the Grip...
Phone Rebel Flex and Frosted Gen 6 is here.
I’ve always liked the Apple Silicone, and this year’s version is somewhat improved over prior years: tighter fit, fewer fingerprints, less lint. I’m sure, like silicone always does, it will break down faster than TPU or poly, but I’ll be satisfied if it lasts 6 months.
The grip is mid-grade out of the box, but is increasing with use as is usual for silicone. Some complain about too much grip messing with pockets, but I only carry the phone in my back pocket, so it’s a non-issue for me. This also mitigates the lint issue.
Apple is reticent about their drop testing, but leaks, experience, and common sense say it provides a mid-level of protection for everyday drops, say up to 4-6 feet. For extreme conditions there are plenty of alternatives.
The killer app for this case, this year, is obviously the Camera Control cover. I’ve already tried and returned a number of cases with a cutout and, at least for someone like me who uses the camera a lot and enjoys the functionality of the CC, the advantages the cover brings far outweigh any advantages other cases may have. I’ll be receiving a Spigen Ultra Hybrid T this weekend and will report back on how its CC cover compares to the one on the Apple case.
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Looking forward to your review of the Spigen. I am in the process of returning my otherwise beloved Caudabe Sheath because of the camera cutout. Like you, I'm using the Apple Silicone case, which is much better than it's been in previous years. Any case I would consider must have a camera control button cover that functions as well as the Apple version.