I often find it hard to review cases – most people have their own preferences, whether they’re flip cases (either sideways or up/down), shell cases, rubber cases, no cases etc. Most cases tend to do what you expect of them, and often the cheaper they are the poorer the quality. So how do you review a case? Well, the point of this review is to consider the cases themselves (obviously), but also the shopping experience.
I deliberately chose the sorts of case that I like. Ordinarily I prefer flip cases. Partly this is because of the way they protect the screen, partly because they provide a means of standing the phone in landscape orientation, which is great for watching films, and partly because they tend to look smart. That said, I can’t get flip cases to fit into the phone holder in my car, so lately I’ve been opting for simple shell cases. These afford less protection but don’t make the phone quite so bulky, which is useful when you have a phone with a screen as big as the S7 Edge.
Choosing the cases was a remarkably straightforward thing: the 32ndshop.com website is intuitive and simple and offers free first class posting within the UK. You can select your phone manufacturer, then model, and then you’re presented with an array of cases in a multitude of colours. What I particularly liked, aside from the simple ease of finding a case, was the large number of different phones supported, from the obvious current crop, to some golden oldies. So, to the cases themselves.
All three arrived promptly and packaged very nicely:
As you can see, the shop is loud and up front and this isn’t simply on the packaging itself, but on the cases too. Each case has the company emblem (the square red and white lined thing to you and I, or the ‘I Ching Hexagram Heng’ as each box informs me) stamped on them, and the flip cases also have the word ’32nd’ written inside the cover (photos below).
The navy blue flip case came with a packaged screen protector and little cleaning cloth:
It is made from real leather and has a very nice, quality feel to it. On the left-hand side are slots for credit cards, while the phone itself sits comfortably into the plastic casing. There’s just enough give in this that you feel like it can be removed without all the plastic cracking. The case also bends so that the phone can stand in landscape mode. Buttons are cut out, and I what I particularly liked is that the entire bottom section is missing, so that leads and headphones can be easily inserted without hassle.
The case is priced at £12.99 and comes in a variety of colours. Details are here.
The dark brown flip case is similarly constructed with credit card slots, a bend for landscape mode etc. It has the addition of a magnetic clasp and, as you can see from the photo, more of the plastic case missing. I actually prefer this as you get more of a sense (not just visual) of the Edge elements of the phone. The case itself is made from premium Italian leather and definitely feels of a better quality than the previous one:
The case costs £19.99 and also comes in a variety of colours. Details are here.
Lastly, the wooden shell case. I opted for the Walnut option, though there are various different ones to choose from. The case itself is plastic with a real wooden insert on the rear. The case is rigid with just enough movement to get the phone in and out without fear or cracking. Once inserted, the phone certainly feels sturdy. The plastic and wood insert are nice and tactile, and the natural grain of the wood (at least on the walnut) gives it some texture to grip.
The wooden case sells for £9.99. More details are here.
So, in short, some very nice cases which are attractive, sturdy and well constructed. What I particularly liked was the shopping experience – the prices are competitive, there is free UK postage, they are packaged nicely and the cases are very impressive. All in all, I highly recommend them.