RokForm has released its newest case, the RokShield for iPhone 5, and it not only protects your phone, but offers some unique functionality through a built-in mounting system. The system locks your phone securely in place, so there's no worry about it coming loose, yet releases quickly so you can grab your phone and go.
The RokShield case is actually a set of individual components that work together. It comes with a hard polycarbonate frame that houses your phone and then a protective rubber bumper that fits around that frame. You can choose to leave the rubber bumper off if you're looking for a slimmer profile.
On the back of the hard case there's a triangular shaped rubber insert that will keep your phone from slipping out of place wherever you set it down. This was pretty handy when I just put the phone on the dash of the car without using the mounting system. Even accelerating and in tight corners, that little insert kept my phone from sliding.
Beneath that insert there's also a little magnet that let's you stick your phone to metal surfaces. It's not as secure as the mounting system, but it does offer another way to quickly mount your phone to a nearby surface if you aren't using the mounting system.
Lastly, you get what RokForm calls the easy stick Remote Mounting System (RMS). This is the really cool part. It's a small disc that you can permanently mount to a surface, like your dashboard, and it locks into place on the back of the hard case. Once your phone is locked in, it's not going anywhere.
It's just a simple twist to get your phone on and off of the RMS, and it's the most secure system I've ever used for mounting the phone on a car dash. Especially if you use your phone as a GPS, the RMS has your phone ready to go with just a twist and a click.
There are numerous accessories including a belt clip, bike mount, and additional RMS units, so you can put them wherever you want your phone secured. I used the belt clip and found it just as quick and easy as the RMS I used in the car.
Compared to other mounting systems, this one was unobtrusive and much quicker to use. There's no arm sticking out from a dash mounted suction cup or the like and the RMS itself is practically unnoticeable on your dash.
The only drawback to the case, and this is really an issue with most cases for the iPhone 5, is that it adds a good bit to the phone's profile. You can make it a little slimmer by removing the protective rubber bumper, but it's not enough to really make a difference, so I was just as happy to leave it in place.
Surprisingly, this isn't a particularly expensive case. The RokForm RokShield for iPhone 5 is $39.00, which is a great price for such a fully-featured case. It's available in a variety of colors and there are versions for the iPhone 4/4S, Galaxy 3S and even iPads.
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I received this case for review purposes.
