The Apple iPhone XR is one of the most beautiful phones you can buy. You can read my review of it here.
It's also one of the most colorful. So, how can you clad it in a case without disguising its beauty, whether you've chosen the especially gorgeous yellow, the deeply attractive coral, the calming blue, the feisty PRODUCT(RED), the snowy-simple white or the enigmatic space gray?
You can read my round-up of the best cases here but you'll see that Apple hasn't made a single one of them. Well, today Apple finally revealed its own Apple-made, Apple-designed, Apple-branded case - something notable by its absence until now. It had been leaked, it seemed, back in October, but the leak was plugged and the potential case vanished.
Now, it's been officially revealed in all its see-through glory.
Here's everything you need to know.
What does it look like?
It's crystal-clear. I mean, you guessed, that, right? But the point is it's completely clear, not matte-finish, cloudy or partly clear. Like other iPhone cases often do, the extra thickness means the camera unit doesn't protrude through the case, it's more or less flush with it. Which feels better.
Apple has made it so that it's "easy to grip", that is it won't slip out of your hands easily when you're holding it.
What's it made of?
Apple calls it optically clear polycarbonate and flexible TPU materials, which means the bits that fit over the buttons can move with the buttons underneath in perfect harmony.
Will it scratch?
Well, better the plastic than the glass or aluminum, right? Also, Apple says it's been protected with a scratch-resistant coating on the outside and the inside.
It works with wireless chargers, right?
I mean, it would be pretty terrible if it didn't. But, yes, it's compatible.
When's it on sale?
From Monday December 10. You can go to Apple's website and order it for delivery on Monday or with express delivery ($8 extra) for this Friday.
How much is it?
$39 - which is cheaper than many had predicted. True, you can buy an iPhone XR case for less, but then Apple often charges a premium and the build quality usually justifies it. It sells for £45 in the UK.
Should I buy one?
It looks great, it's a perfect fit and it sneaks a little round the edge of the phone so that the display is partly protected, unlike some cases where a screen protector is needed, too.
There are cases which offer better protection, such as Mous, and more colorful patterns than the simple effect here.
But in terms of pure, transparent protection that lets you see the iPhone inside in all its glory, it's pretty good.
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