Cases always cause me an issue. The manufacturers spend hundreds of hours designing the phone so it looks its best. They shave millimetres and dropping grammes to make it as sleek and pleasing to hold as possible. However, every handset seems to make a bid for freedom at any available opportunity, and will shatter from even a low height if they get the chance to be dropped. So there is always a balance between covering up the design and protecting from damage.
Clear cases are often the answer to these issues, so for the last few weeks I have been testing the Speck Presidio Clear Case on my iPhone 7 Plus – here’s my review.
Full disclaimer: this case was kindly provided by the awesome people at mobilefun.co.uk, but they had no control over the review.
Design
The world went crazy for the two black iPhones this year, but I switched away. Gone are my usual Space Grey tendencies, replaced by my white and gold version. So showing off my new choice of colour is something I really wanted to do. The Speck Presidio Clear Case promises:
- Completely clear design
- Military-grade drop protection – tested from 8 ft
- Reduced bulk
- Designed for the iPhone 7
The whole case is made from a quality feeling, clear TPU, with the corners and the area around the buttons set slightly thicker to offer that military grade protection advertised. I’m not sure what the military would be doing throwing phones around, but tests have shown full protection from a drop from as high as 8 ft.
The design isn’t anything to write home about, but what clear case is? With this option you are usually restricted to flimsy plastic clip on cases or bulky almost clear TPU. However the Speck Presidio Clear Case shows all the design and colour of your chosen handset. It also promises to not scratch or discolour – making the blank canvas design perfect.
Usability
The chances of you dropping your phone from 8 ft are quite remote, unless you are really clumsy! What is noticeable straight away is the reduced size of the case. The design fits very snug around the device, so much so it is quite difficult to get the phone back out again. Speck claims the new design is 20% slimmer than previously designs, and it shows. The design of the iPhone shows through and is not lost inside the case like so many others on the market.
The case also adds a much-needed layer of grip to the device. Made from quality TPU, the Speck Presidio Clear Case is one of the most grippy I have used so far. It’s something that is VERY needed with the iPhone 7 design, and it gave me much more confidence in handling the device in any situation, meaning I could use it one-handed with ease. With that said, the by-product is a slight increase in resistance when sliding it in and out of the pocket, but not so much to be a hinderance.
The case is also precision made, fitting the handset perfectly. The buttons, although plastic are reassuring, and give lots of tactile feedback. The cut-outs for the silent switch, speaker holes and charging port line up perfectly. No muffles or charging issues here; the engineering really shows when compared to less premium cases.
However that drop protection does come at a cost, and that is weight. Once the iPhone 7 Plus is inside the case, the weight is bumped up to 232g over the caseless 180g. Adding 50g onto the weight of a device that isn’t the lightest thing in the world is noticeable. The weight added is comparable to the jump between the regular sized iPhone and the Plus version. So be aware if that is an issue for you, other options may be more appealing.
Speck Presidio Clear Case Verdict
The case is not without a weight compromise, but other than that it is exactly what it promises. Protection that is almost unrivalled in a clear case and precision cut outs for all the important parts. If drop protection is your key factor and you don’t want to cover up the design of your phone, then look nowhere else. For all-around protection with little size increase, I haven’t found anything better as yet.
The clear case I tested is available from Mobile fun for both the iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 plus as well as in a huge variety of designs.