Previously on Forbes, I looked at seven protective cases for the iPhone 6. This was just before Christmas, and effectively was the first 'rush' of cases to come onto the market after the September launch of Apple's latest iPhones. Case manufacturers looking to move early take a risk on the design and style of a new product, so the choice was somewhat limited to protection and simplicity. Since then, case designers have got to grips with the iPhone 6 design, and been able to participate in Apple's 'Made For iPhone' program.
Now, as the iPhone 6 approaches it's six month anniversary, the range of cases continues to grow. The levels of inventiveness and practicality have increased, and the cases I'm looking at in this article all offer protection to some degree, but the focus is on extra functionality. Be it delivering power, offering extreme protection, looking to become even more fashionable, or simply following modern-day 'make it yourself' trends, the iPhone case market continues to grow and develop in a myriad of directions.
The Mophie Juice Pack Plus
The Mophie brand is well-known in smartphone circles, so its combination of protective case and external battery to recharge your iPhone has been eagerly awaited. I've already taken a closer look at this case here on Forbes, but the simple value proposition is this... add a little bit of weight and bulk to your iPhone, and you'll be able to more than double the endurance of your iPhone 6 thanks to the 3300 mAh battery built into the case. Just flip the switch on the back to top up your iPhone.
Charging over microUSB (and also allowing you to charge your iPhone using a microUSB cable that doubles as a sync cable) the Mophie Juice Pack Plus case might be large, but it's a practical solution if you travel a lot or simply do not get a chance to recharge a well used iPhone.
An iPhone 6 Plus variant is also available which sports a 2600 mAh battery to recharge Apple's phablet.
Available direct from Mophie.com.
Zens Smart Wireless Charging For iPhone 6
Not everyone spends their time travelling, but power is still a concern for some iPhone users. This is where the Zens Qi charging case becomes incredibly useful. The iPhone 6 clips into the case, which sports a lighting cable connector at the base. This lines up with the iPhone 6, and is the key to the case. embedded in the rear of the case is a Qi wireless charging receiver. Just pop your iPhone 6 down on any convenient Qi wireless charging case, and your battery will start charging.
I've spoken at length before about the utility of wireless charging (and how to fit your own Qi pad to an iPhone) so this case really speaks to me. It does sport a microUSB port at the base of the case, but this is only if you want to charge your iPhone over a cabled connection - unlike the Mophie case you cannot sync through this port, which is unfortunate and something I hope Zens addresses in the next iteration, because I don't want to keep popping my smartphone in and out of this case.
I can live with it though - the knowledge that if I pick my iPhone up from my desk and know I have the maximum charge I can have without taking the time to unmount my phone in software and remove a physical cable is a great experience.
Available direct from Zens' website.
Next: Waterproofing, antibacterial coatings, and handmade bumpers from Portland.
Catalyst Waterproof Case (Rescue Ranger Style)
Catalyst's case is probably the scariest case that I've ever reviewed. It proudly displays on the packaging that the case is waterproof to 5 meters, able to be dropped 2 meters, and has an IP6x rating against dirt and snow. It also allows the iPhone to continue to be used, and the plastic front of the case will allow TouchID to be used to identify yourself.
It also has a multi-step process to carry out when you receive the case to ensure that the integrity of the case under water has not been weakened in transit. In a sense this is good, because it means the case is 'proven' to the user before the smartphone is risked.
Rubberized volume and power buttons relay your touch to the hardware buttons, and the ringer switch is actioned by a twist dial. It does feel strange to be touching plastic on the iPhone screen, and there's a tiny amount of movement as you press on the plastic. But touch and swipe gestures all work, the TouchID is still secure, and there is a large rubber flap on the bottom you need to remove to get to the lightning port and headphone cable - just remember to close this before you go swimming.
Waterproofing is still one of the biggest areas for manufacturers to address with smartphones - Until Apple follow's Sony's lead, anyone looking for a case that offers significant protection against the elements would do well to look at Catalyst's solution.
Available direct from Catalyst.
Trident Kraken A.M.S. Case For Apple iPhone 6
iPhone Case Review Trident Kraken (image: Ewan Spence)
Case manufacturer Trident has been working hard on their antimicrobial cases, which help keep the product "cleaner, greener and fresher, while preventing the growth of up to 99.99% of mold, mildew, and door-causing bacteria." Given the amount of gunk that a phone can pick up during a single day before being brought up to your skin, this is a useful area of protection to explore.
Trident has coupled this technology up with the impact, vibration, and dust protection offered by its Kraken case. It is another all encompassing-case, with a built-in screen cover that clips over the front of the iPhone to both hold it secure in the shell and offer some protection to the glass screen. With cutouts for TouchID and the speak, it is not fully waterproof, but adds significant protection against splashes and rainwater.
There are two touches to this case that I really like. The first is that the rear of the case has a pop-out metal stand so you can prop the iPhone up to watch a video in comfort. The second is that it comes with a belt-clip and holster arrangement. The holster can spin around the belt clip for a portrait or landscape orientation, and a quick press on the release trigger allows you to slide the iPhone out of the holster while remaining in the main Kraken case. If you need easy access to your iPhone in a rugged environment, this is a smart combination.
Available direct from Trident.
iPhone Case Review Trident Kraken (image: Ewan Spence)
Grovemade Walnut iPhone Bumper
For day-to-day use, I particularly like the idea of bumper cases for the iPhone 6. It allows the thin design of the iPhone to shine through, but it significantly improves the grip that I have on the side of the smartphone. It also has the benefit of raising the camera lens or the screen away from a flat surface. And unless you are very unlucky, any drop or wall will be absorbed by part of the bumper case first.
Grovemade's latest bumper case is a cut above the $1.99 bumpers on eBay. Made entirely from US sourced hardwoods, and precision-cut in its Portland workshop. I'm reviewing the walnut iPhone case (maple is also available). There is a tiny amount of flex in the case that allows you to fit the iPhone in to the snug contours (there's one recommended way to do so, which is shown in the accompanying information postcard). Once in place the iPhone feels incredibly secure.
Volume and power buttons are separate pieces of wood with a felt backing to hold them in place over the main iPhone 6 buttons, while there are recessed cutouts for the mute switch, headphone socket, and lightning port.
There's a delightful mix of futuristic style from Apple's smartphone wrapped up in a retro 70s wooden feel. You still clearly have an iPhone, and the wood is not overpowering, but the look itself is stylish, minimalist, and utterly charming.
Available direct from Grovemade.
Next: Italian leather wallets, print your own case, and some final thoughts.
DannyP Leather Wallet with iPhone 6 Case
Not every case keeps every element of the iPhone 6 readily accessible, some of them go for style and subtlety. This is where the Danny P leather wallet case comes in. At first glance the handmade wallet is a regular wallet, with space for notes at the back, and credit and debit cards in the front. The iPhone slides into the space normally reserved for coins.
With this being a wallet, the inclusion of the contactless Apple Pay has been considered. The TouchID sensor remains exposed when you place the iPhone in the wallet, and the leather does not block the signals from the NFC chip in the iPhone. That means you can hold the wallet between finger and thumb (on the TouchID sensor) and tap your wallet to a point of sale terminal. Apple Pay takes care of the transaction, while you pay by touching your wallet to the terminal.
It's a playful touch to an understated but luxurious wallet where the function of a wallet (coins, cards, and payments) has come first, with the iPhone tastefully added without spoiling the lines of the design.
Available direct from Danny P's website.
3D Printed Simple iPhone Case
Having just reviewed the XYZ Da Vinci 3D Printer (read about it here on Forbes), I decided to fire up the modern-day replicator to see what it could do for my iPhone. My starting point was Purita's 'Simple iPhone 6 Case'. This has a flat back, and some basic clips at each corner of the iPhone 6. It's a design I've seen on sale in many places.
While it does show up some of the issues with 3D printing - you can see how the layers have been built up, and it's not a particularly smooth finish - the simple case makes the iPhone 6 much easier to grab onto and hold in my hand, and if a corner does impact the floor the scuff marks are going to be on the plastic case, and not the iPhone 6.
It's not perfect, but as an example of what you can do at home it easily matches the basic 'clip and go' cases you can find online in abundance. With the .stl files available via a creative commons licence, it's also the starting point for adding your own design and branding to a case.
Purita's Simple iPhone Case, 3D .stl File On Thingiverse.
Final Thoughts
Just as iOS has freed the creativity of software developers around the world, the ability to add features and functionality to the iPhone through the after-sales case market has created a marketplace where niche tastes can be easily served. Part of this is down to the volume of iPhone models out there - Android as a platform may outnumber the iPhone, but very few handsets have enough sales to justify the tooling needed for the case market.
There are times in my life where I could see myself using each of the cases above. I suspect that the wireless charging case will be my 'go to' case because my time with wireless charging on Windows Phone has made it a 'must have' feature. At the same time I'm in the middle of an extensive about of travelling until the end of March, so the Mophie case is getting far more use than it would if I was stuck in Edinburgh.
No matter, cases offer flexibility and function when it is needed. The beauty of the case market is that if you need a feature and it's not part of the iPhone hardware, there's going to be a case that helps you out.
(Read more about protecting your iPhone Screen with the ‘Invisible Shield Glass’ protector).
