Archive for Tech21

Review: Tech21 Evo Band For The iPhone 6

Posted in Products with tags on April 2, 2015 by itnerd

Now that I have screen protection for my new iPhone 6, I needed to protect it. Now in the past I have tended to avoid bumper style cases. But this time I decided to go for one because of the screen protection that I have. I use my iPhone to measure my efforts when I cross country ski or when I cycle, so that use case makes a bumper style case ideal. But the latter activity opens up the possibility that I might drop the phone. So with that in mind, I settled on the Tech21 Evo Band for the iPhone 6. Now it’s a very minimalistic case. In fact, here’s the case:

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As you can see, it’s literally a band that goes around the phone. But the band is made with a hybrid material called FlexShock which is designed to take the hits so that your phone doesn’t have to. And Tech21 has a reputation for building products to survive drops, so I am reasonably confident that I won’t have to worry about my phone surviving a drop. Now, this design does leave the front and back exposed. But I don’t think it’s as much of an issue as the design of the Evo Band keeps the back and front from having direct contact with whatever the phone is lying on. But I will admit that some may find this to be a negative as they don’t want the potential of back of their iPhone to be scratched. All the ports are accessible and the buttons are replicated perfectly. The only switch that is exposed is the one that puts the iPhone on vibrate. It also doesn’t add all that much bulk which is a good thing.

Here’s what the case looks like installed on my iPhone 6:

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Like I said earlier, it’s a very minimalist case.

Any complaints? I have one. The volume and power buttons now activate if I press anywhere in the area of said buttons. That’s due to the case not fitting tightly in that area. I’ll play around with it because I suspect that this is due to the fit of the case. But I will let you know in an update.

I got my Tech21 Evo Band for the iPhone 6 for $39.95 at the Apple Store. Interestingly enough, I couldn’t find this same case on Tech21’s website which is weird. So if you are interested in getting one, the Apple Store is clearly the way to go. It is worth a look if you’re looking for a minimalist case that provides drop protection.

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Review: Tech21 Impact Snap Case With Cover For The iPhone 5

Posted in Products with tags , , on November 28, 2012 by itnerd

One of the things that I did soon after my wife got her iPhone 5 was buy her a case. When I found out she was simply putting it in her purse without one, I was afraid that she was going to crack the screen. Thus I was determined to find a case to not only protect her from that, but would survive a drop as well. So at my local BestBuy I came across the Impact Snap Case With Cover from U.K. company Tech21 which fit the bill.

The company claims that “With its minimalistic, yet revolutionary, hard shell polycarbonate casing, the Impact Snap with Cover simply clips on to the back of your iPhone 5 to provide high-impact protection. Meanwhile, an additional, leather flip cover protects the phone’s front screen. Access to all ports and function buttons are retained when the Impact Snap with Cover is securely attached to your phone.” My wife reports that this is 100% true. She also likes the feel of the polycarbonate on the right hand side of the case, plus the inside of the cover has a soft material that feels nice as well. The cover also doubles as a stand in portrait mode as well which is handy. It’s clearly a well made product as several weeks in it doesn’t show any signs of wear.

Gripes? Very minor in nature. She feels that there should be a way to secure the cover so that it doesn’t flip open. Also, when you take a picture with this case it goes from a one handed operation to a two handed operation because flipping the cover all the way around would cover the camera. So you have to hold the cover open with your other hand. Finally, the case comes in black or white. How about some other colors or some licensed properties such as an Arsenal logo or Hello Kitty?

None of that takes away from the fact that this is a well designed case that clearly would survive a drop. If you need a case that will protect your iPhone 5 from a drop and protect your screen at the same time, take a look at the Tech21 Impact Snap Case With Cover. I’m pretty sure it will fit the bill.

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