Cases

MOFT recently shipped me the crowdfuned X Invisible Foldaway Stand (starting at $17) for both phones and tablets. MOFT has been selling similar items for laptops for some time, so in spite of being a Kickstarter project, this is the real deal. So what is it? It's a compact stand that is so thin it could fit in an envelope, but it expands to support a three different angles and accommodates both portrait and landscape modes. 

It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.

As Apple continues to design its iPad Pro line as the laptops of the future, having a way to safely carry not only the tablet but also a variety of accessories is practically mandatory. And with the release of iPadOS, the variety of USB-C accessories that provide more accessibility, charge, and storage will continue to expand the iPad Pro accessory universe. Given the iPad's thin footprint and comparatively small charger, using a traditional laptop bag to carry an iPad collection will add unnecessary carrying weight and leave a large amount of bag capacity unused. To address this specific market need, Cocoon Innovations has designed a messenger sling that protects your expensive iPad Pro and various accessories while keeping the bag ideally slim for lightweight travels and commutes.

I wrote this review on the anniversary of the moon landing. It's about time we had a space dividend for iPad users! Enter the Capsule Case ($59.99) that Phoozy sent me to try. The case is sold in a gold or silver finish that looks like something an astronaut would carry. For those who don't want that kind of attention, Phoozy also has a modern camouflage design or basic black. I prefer the gold, myself.

If Indiana Jones needed to carry an iPad or MacBook, he'd probably use the Men's Fashion Genuine Leather Shoulder Bag ($99.99) that SupWatch gave me to try. It's made of buttery-soft brown leather and looks great draped across the shoulder or men or women, and goes with just about any outfit. I would like to see more color choices, but this is neutral enough pull off do full-time duty, at work or play. It's larger than a purse, but smaller than a briefcase, so it's fine for your airplane "personal item" yet there are multiple compartments for storage.

How many times do you find yourself without power and no outlet nearby? Well, if you're trekking in a sunny area, you have a nice and nice looking option. In fact, my daughter will be backpacking in South Africa this summer, so I was excited when I received the Solar Backpack ICONIC ($119.90) from SunnyBAG. It's a backpack with a solar panel built-in to the exterior.

Recently I picked up a set of ThinOptics readers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and I wrote about them. One concern I had is that they were so small and light that they didn't have a full frame to rest on your ears. The company reached out and sent me its Frontpage Computer Glasses and Milano Case ($49.95). These ThinOptics readers do include a frame and more!

If you bought an iPhone XR, as I did, you probably spent some time deciding on a color (I chose red) and the last thing you want to do is cover that phone in a solid case. At least that's how I felt. Fortunately, X-Doria makes some very protective cases that have a clear back. The company sent me the Defense Air ($39.99) in several colors. I chose the red one, and it looks quite stylish with the red iPhone XR. But X-Doria also offer versions with silver or black or teal. Apple offers the iPhone XR in more colors than that, so I would hope X-Doria would match the others, but if not, you can still mix and match nicely.

I love the juxtaposition of the latest technology with traditional luxurious materials. That's why I'm drawn to leather smartphone cases. But the folks at Hitcase sent me the Ferra iPhone Case ($59.99) and it goes the extra mile. In addition to leather (black or light brown) the case also has stainless steel accents, for the volume buttons, logo, and surrounding the camera lenses. That last part is important, because Hitcase adds its own bit of technology to each case.

The folks at Mophie basically invented the battery pack case. Mophie sent me its new Juice Pack Access ($99.95) for my iPhone XR and it's clear that the company is reinventing the battery case, leveraging the Qi-based wireless charging capabilities of the newer iPhones. As with its original line of cases, you essentially double the battery life of your iPhone, but this version does not interfere with your Lightning port. It charges your phone using the phone's built-in Qi wireless charging capability. You can still use the Lightning port to charge or use accessories like Apple's headphone and HDMI adapters. Ironically, if Apple had focused on making phones with larger batteries, even if they were thicker, the tech giant might have been able to leave the headphone jack in, and we might not need battery cases. But Apple's focus on thinness has hurt battery life, and led to the loss of the headphone jack, so Mophie has an answer.

At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I picked up a pair of ThinOptics Glasses and Case (starting at $19.95) from ThinOptics. The company has a novel design for reading glasses (and computer glasses) that rest on your nose without temples, so the glasses are quite small. They are also flexible and durable.

I recently upgraded to the iPhone XR and that meant searching for a new case. The folks at Nomad sent several to review and I had a hard time choosing. I ended up with the simple and elegant Rugged Case (starting at $44.95) but some users might prefer Nomad's folio options for a few dollars more. What I like about all of the cases is, despite having a leather surface, they have a protective silicone shell that completely encompasses the perimeter of the iPhone. The coverage includes the port area at the bottom, which is where some competing cases, particularly Apple's own cases, skimp on coverage.

I've used and recommended Urban Armor Gear iPhone cases for years. They are the right mix of rugged protection and cool style. UAG sent me the Plyo Series iPad Case ($69.95) to review and it offers the same rugged protection as the iPhone cases. It protects all around the edges, including the ports, and has a cover lined with microfiber that keeps the screen clean.

If you're like me, you have probably seen and maybe even purchased those rugged, foam-filled shipping crates from Pelican. I use them all the time to ship computer and audio equipment. Well, what if you could have that level of protection for your iPhone? That's the idea behind the Pelican line of iPhone cases. The company sent me the Adventurer Case ($39.99) to try.

Solo sent me the Active Vector Slim iPad Case ($44.99) and it fit my 9.7-inch iPad from 2018 quite well. It is available in two color choices, all black or a gunmetal blue with black accents. I found both to be quite stylish, with a rubbery textured geometric pattern that also helps with grip.

Our iPhone Life editors just returned from the tech circus that is CES where they discovered the most innovative and useful iOS gear you can buy in 2019. Watch this video to see CEO David Averbach and Editor in Chief Donna Cleveland round up the 26 best tech accessories they found this year for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. 

I have been using and recommending Urban Armor Gear cases for iPhones, for many years. They had a clever promotion at the last few Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas, where you turn in your old smartphone case, literally throwing it in a large, clear plastic bin, and they give you a new one. I did that and was happy to have the upgrade. But it occurred to me that, as valuable as my iPhone is, my laptop is even more important and harder to replace. This is why I was happy to review the Plasma MacBook Case ($79.95) when Urban Armor Gear gave me the case to try.

I have been reviewing Just Mobile products for iPhone Life since the release of the company's iPad accessories and stands nearly ten years ago. With Apple's introduction of its most impressive (and expensive) iPhone to date, the iPhone XS Max, keeping such a substantial investment from harm is of utmost importance. Just Mobile agrees and has designed two product to address such a need.

The iPhone may be the number one camera, by use and arguably by picture quality, but it's still pretty uncomfortable to take photos with. That's where the Pictar One (starting at $99.99) from Miggo comes in. The Pictar One is a sort-of half case that your smartphone slides in to. The Pictar One adds a tripod mount, a cold shoe for lights and similar accessories, three dials, and a shutter button.