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walds11

macrumors 68000
May 30, 2010
1,560
688
I'm thinking of returning mine. It's the black one, and looks really great on my matte black iPhone 7, however I'm finding the leather very slippery. It's not so much of an issue for regular use, but I do quite a bit of gaming on my phone, and when I'm gaming in landscape mode, the phone keeps wanting to slip out of my hands. I'm thinking that perhaps the silicon case would be a better choice for me. I'm still have one more week to decide before my 14 day return period is up.

The leather will soften and grip up some after regular use. If you are a gamer, the silicone case would be the better option.
 
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CAWjr

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2010
488
59
Atlanta, GA
Thank you so much for posting this comparison. I used the FS20 code today & ordered the Nomad. I like the better coverage on the bottom & seeing the cutouts helped me pull the trigger. I was not even looking at a leather cover (I ordered a TPU one already), but this one is so sexy that I couldn't pass it up. The fact that they don't have a big brand name blasted on the back is a giant bonus to me.

So much for Nomad's "Now Shipping" status on their website. My order is still sitting in "Confirmed". I'm not too bothered by it as I have a TPU case on my ip7 for now, but after several folks said that they ordered last week and the site said the cases were backordered, but the status changed to Now Shipping by Thursday, I assumed they would be getting them out the door.
 

vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
I've been using the Saddle brown case since i received the phone on the 22nd. Its gotten a bit darker, some scratches and slight discoloration along the edges as was expected. It looks nice, premium and YES more slippery than past iPhone leather cases that I've owned but that should become better as it wears down. Having held other leather cases for previous iphones I must confess that Nodus's shell case feels as much if not more premium as apple's case and their access case is also very nice. I would have preferred those two had they not been on pre-order till the end of October.

From earlier phones, these two videos best capture the patina on the saddle brown over 2 and 8 months of usage -


 
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nies

macrumors 6502
Aug 24, 2010
359
10
does anyone know if the ship dates for leather 7+ cases from apple are accurate? Says to deliver October 5-12, yet all their stores show they have them in stock? Im about 3 hours from the nearest apple store so driving to one is ruled out
 

Cogsworth

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2015
380
271
Originally I bought the black leather Apple case for my JB 7+ but I found it a bit plain and boring. I dropped by the Apple Store and picked up the Storm Grey leather and immediately returned the black. I didn't think I would like the grey but damn it looks good on the JB, especially with the gunmetal machined buttons.
718e5ce191c89502743a14847f101735.jpg
6add3ffde90dedf253fb085157f81606.jpg
f3450112a424b3f59bd730658a5074cb.jpg
 

walds11

macrumors 68000
May 30, 2010
1,560
688
Storm grey looks hot! I'm really digging saddle brown with my matte black iPhone 7. It's such a nice, rich color that will patina up nicely with age. The aluminum buttons are a little darker than the case itself, which is a nice contrast.
 

Teon

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2016
228
50
I've been using the Saddle brown case since i received the phone on the 22nd. Its gotten a bit darker, some scratches and slight discoloration along the edges as was expected. It looks nice, premium and YES more slippery than past iPhone leather cases that I've owned but that should become better as it wears down. Having held other leather cases for previous iphones I must confess that Nodus's shell case feels as much if not more premium as apple's case and their access case is also very nice. I would have preferred those two had they not been on pre-order till the end of October.

From earlier phones, these two videos best capture the patina on the saddle brown over 2 and 8 months of usage -


it looks great! love brown, want to buy after receiving phone
 
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UnluckyXIII

macrumors 6502
Feb 20, 2014
298
66
I'm starting to have buyers remorse... I still haven't received my iPhone 7+ from my network provider (EE) but after looking at how people's Leather cases age I thought I would google for some images of the (PRODUCT)RED case to see how it goes.... OMG it's terrible! It appears to age the worst out of all the cases.... fortunately I haven't opened the packaging on the case yet so it's still sealed, will I have any trouble returning this to an Apple Store in exchange for a refund/replacement?
 

IconIc215

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2013
1,427
1,255
I'm starting to have buyers remorse... I still haven't received my iPhone 7+ from my network provider (EE) but after looking at how people's Leather cases age I thought I would google for some images of the (PRODUCT)RED case to see how it goes.... OMG it's terrible! It appears to age the worst out of all the cases.... fortunately I haven't opened the packaging on the case yet so it's still sealed, will I have any trouble returning this to an Apple Store in exchange for a refund/replacement?


Absolutely not...I bought 3 different colors and returned the ones in the worst condition (its hit or miss with these out of the box). Keep in mind all were opened and one was used a few days.
 

gsmornot

macrumors 68040
Sep 29, 2014
3,672
3,852
totally agree! my friend broke her screen with a leather case. They would be THE prefect case if they are more protective
Had a friend break their display with a Lifeproof case. It all comes down to how well you can manage to care for your phone and avoid accidents. The leather cases offer more protection than a bare phone, prevent scratching, and make it less slippery after giving it time to patina. If you like the look of leather try one and try to be careful with your devices.
 

Rangers94

macrumors 6502
Sep 20, 2014
337
332
My black leather iPhone 7 case does not fit correctly. The lower third of the case does not wrap around the edges and instead runs away from the iPhone. Not impresssed and will visit the Apple Store tomorrow.

E5C3F149-75B5-4E53-A98F-41E32AB3E3DC_zps0sxyf8op.jpg

Mine does the same in saddle brown? Did you replace it? If so any issues with new one? I'm going to exchange mine. Wondering if it's faulty or if that's just the way the case is designed and over time wears this way from taking phone in and out of case?

Does anyone else with Apples leather case have this issue at all?
 
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kingston73

macrumors 65816
Dec 23, 2015
1,166
717
So much for Nomad's "Now Shipping" status on their website. My order is still sitting in "Confirmed". I'm not too bothered by it as I have a TPU case on my ip7 for now, but after several folks said that they ordered last week and the site said the cases were backordered, but the status changed to Now Shipping by Thursday, I assumed they would be getting them out the door.

Just an fyi for people interested in the Nomad case, your local Best Buy might have them in stock. I originally ordered from Nomad's site and like everybody else didn't hear anything about shipping dates. I read some people saying they bought the case at Best Buy so I went to their site and ordered and picked one up in my local store saturday. I'm finally getting my 7+ today so I'll post some pictures later. Initial thoughts are the case definitely has a nice feel to it, it feels more like "real" leather than my apple 6s case. The mute switch cut out is pretty small so I'll see if it's hard to use or not. Everything else looks great and feels great.
 

techspin

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2014
819
397
Sea Blue. I must say the color looks nicer in photos than irl. It's much lighter aqua blue in person.

naoL1XS.jpg


opzyQjq.jpg


Crease on the top
vibhEz4.jpg
 
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smeg36

macrumors regular
Sep 16, 2009
216
6
After my 7 Plus fell out of my pocket while just sitting in a chair, I begrudgingly decided I should probably get a case. I went to Best Buy to check out the Nomad case, and really liked the look and feel of it. But I couldn't reach the mute switch no matter how I tried. I don't have long fingernails.

So I guess I'm getting the Apple case. I've had past Apple leather cases, and I like how I can reach the mute switch without even taking it out of my pocket. I had the 6s Plus Saddle Brown case, and after a few months it looked pretty great.
 

andyw715

macrumors 68000
Oct 25, 2013
1,844
1,404
Here is my 6s+ saddle case, well broken in, next to a week old 7+ saddle case.

ETA: the worn case is almost a year old.

eb7bb3ec641085d87ef4ec53d7b8d159.jpg
 
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RichardC300

macrumors 65816
Sep 27, 2012
1,243
116
Here is my 6s+ saddle case, well broken in, next to a week old 7+ saddle case.

eb7bb3ec641085d87ef4ec53d7b8d159.jpg
That's darker than I was expecting it to get... might return mine. Mine is already a very nice brown color after 1.5 weeks. And I liked the pics of other people's cases after 2 and 8 months, too.
 

nies

macrumors 6502
Aug 24, 2010
359
10
Originally I bought the black leather Apple case for my JB 7+ but I found it a bit plain and boring. I dropped by the Apple Store and picked up the Storm Grey leather and immediately returned the black. I didn't think I would like the grey but damn it looks good on the JB, especially with the gunmetal machined buttons.
718e5ce191c89502743a14847f101735.jpg
6add3ffde90dedf253fb085157f81606.jpg
f3450112a424b3f59bd730658a5074cb.jpg


would you say the pictures are pretty close to the color? I saw a video online that made the grey look much lighter. Don't live near an apple store so thats why i ask.
 
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techspin

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2014
819
397
What kind of screen protector do you have installed on your iPhone 7?

Xtreme guard glass. I've had this one since the 6.
[doublepost=1475029839][/doublepost]
would you say the pictures are pretty close to the color? I saw a video online that made the grey look much lighter. Don't live near an apple store so thats why i ask.

It's a much lighter color. Though it should darken as it ages if that's your concern.
 

krick

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2009
146
72
Finally received my phone this past weekend and have spent some time comparing the Nomad to the Apple leather (saddle) case, which I also picked up for comparison purposes. Here are my updated observations (see prior posts for prior observations sans phone):

1. While the Nomad leather is thicker than the Apple leather, in terms of actual case thickness and with the phone in the case, the difference is minimal to the point that I can barely discern any tactile difference between the two. I say tactile because all of the edges are thinner and more tapered/rounded on the Apple case, which optically makes Apple case appear to be slimmer to greater degree. Using a straight edge to compare, the Nomad may be a couple tenths of a mm thicker if that, but it's a difference that feels smaller than that but looks greater than that. In terms of weight, again the Nomad looks more substantial and does in fact weigh more, but only 4.8 grams more (23.8 v 28.6 grams) which is not noticeable.

2. The vibrate/mute button cutout is even smaller on the Apple case than on the Nomad, but is actually much easier for me to access than the one on the Nomad because of the slight difference in leather thickness. Honestly, with my blunt fingers and lack of nails, both are difficult for me to use, but the Apple is manageable with my index finger whereas with the Nomad I have to use a different finger.

3. While I stand by my prior comments regarding the comparative quality of the leathers and differences between the two, I have to agree with others who have said that the finishing on the Apple case is better. This is most noticeable at the camera cutout. There's a design difference here in that the Apple cutout is rounded at the edges where the Nomad is not, but that's more of a detail than a difference in the quality of the finishing. The real difference is that the paint that Nomad applied to the inner edges of the cutout (this is a standard practice with leather goods, irrespective of quality) is very unevenly applied. It's subtle, and I simply did not notice it before, but in side by side comparison with the Apple case and the more refined rolled edges, it stands out. That said, it sort of goes with the more rugged look of the Nomad case and doesn't really bother me, but it is sloppy. I did not look carefully at this aspect of the other Nomad examples that I saw at Best Buy, however, so I don't know if this is unique to my particular case or representative of most Nomads.

4. The Apple case is much easier to remove from the phone than the Nomad. The Apple case does not fit remotely loosely, so I'm guessing this is mostly a function of the Nomad having full coverage at the bottom whereas the Apple does not. The Nomad is actually somewhat difficult to remove the phone from, which is an issue for me because I have to swap cases regularly with my Studio Proper bike mount compatible case.

Unexpectedly, I've decided to keep the Apple case and return the Nomad. I still prefer the style/look of the Nomad leather and the bottom coverage that it provides, but the easier vibration/mute switch access and case removal of the Apple make it the better choice for me.

Pics below showing the differences (or lack thereof) in the camera cutouts and thickness.
 

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AWDV8TT

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2014
80
23
Sea Blue. I must say the color looks nicer in photos than irl. It's much lighter aqua blue in person.

Crease on the top
vibhEz4.jpg

The one I picked up today has the same crease...which also bummed me out. IMO that's a defect. Not sure if I'll return or what :/
 

Knowimagination

macrumors 68020
Apr 6, 2010
2,228
1,288
Finally received my phone this past weekend and have spent some time comparing the Nomad to the Apple leather (saddle) case, which I also picked up for comparison purposes. Here are my updated observations (see prior posts for prior observations sans phone):

1. While the Nomad leather is thicker than the Apple leather, in terms of actual case thickness and with the phone in the case, the difference is minimal to the point that I can barely discern any tactile difference between the two. I say tactile because all of the edges are thinner and more tapered/rounded on the Apple case, which optically makes Apple case appear to be slimmer to greater degree. Using a straight edge to compare, the Nomad may be a couple tenths of a mm thicker if that, but it's a difference that feels smaller than that but looks greater than that. In terms of weight, again the Nomad looks more substantial and does in fact weigh more, but only 4.8 grams more (23.8 v 28.6 grams) which is not noticeable.

2. The vibrate/mute button cutout is even smaller on the Apple case than on the Nomad, but is actually much easier for me to access than the one on the Nomad because of the slight difference in leather thickness. Honestly, with my blunt fingers and lack of nails, both are difficult for me to use, but the Apple is manageable with my index finger whereas with the Nomad I have to use a different finger.

3. While I stand by my prior comments regarding the comparative quality of the leathers and differences between the two, I have to agree with others who have said that the finishing on the Apple case is better. This is most noticeable at the camera cutout. There's a design difference here in that the Apple cutout is rounded at the edges where the Nomad is not, but that's more of a detail than a difference in the quality of the finishing. The real difference is that the paint that Nomad applied to the inner edges of the cutout (this is a standard practice with leather goods, irrespective of quality) is very unevenly applied. It's subtle, and I simply did not notice it before, but in side by side comparison with the Apple case and the more refined rolled edges, it stands out. That said, it sort of goes with the more rugged look of the Nomad case and doesn't really bother me, but it is sloppy. I did not look carefully at this aspect of the other Nomad examples that I saw at Best Buy, however, so I don't know if this is unique to my particular case or representative of most Nomads.

4. The Apple case is much easier to remove from the phone than the Nomad. The Apple case does not fit remotely loosely, so I'm guessing this is mostly a function of the Nomad having full coverage at the bottom whereas the Apple does not. The Nomad is actually somewhat difficult to remove the phone from, which is an issue for me because I have to swap cases regularly with my Studio Proper bike mount compatible case.

Unexpectedly, I've decided to keep the Apple case and return the Nomad. I still prefer the style/look of the Nomad leather and the bottom coverage that it provides, but the easier vibration/mute switch access and case removal of the Apple make it the better choice for me.

Pics below showing the differences (or lack thereof) in the camera cutouts and thickness.
Thanks for the in-depth feedback I keep going back and forth about which one I want to try. Did the metal buttons on the apple case not effect your decision at all?
 

krick

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2009
146
72
Thanks for the in-depth feedback I keep going back and forth about which one I want to try. Did the metal buttons on the apple case not effect your decision at all?

Not at all. I found the tactile response and feel of the Nomad buttons to be excellent even if not quite as good as the metal buttons on the Apple. Also, I actually dislike the coppery/bronze color of the Apple buttons, to the point that I considered swapping the saddle color for the grey or black just for that reason.
 
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