Apple iPhone X Leather Case Review

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A bit nervous to have so many coworkers and friends see me in a bikini, I rushed out of the pool and grabbed my towel. It’s not that I was out of shape, in fact, I’m surprisingly athletic for a geek. Plus, I lost 10 pounds for this particular occasion. But it’s still a small two-piece bikini, and they’re still my (mostly male) coworkers. I didn’t want their attention. Perhaps it was the chill of the air or this nervous rush, but I had forgotten that I wrapped my phone up in that towel. As I snatched my towel, eager to wrap myself up in it, the towel unraveled, and, from about hip-height (I’m 5’10”), my iPhone fell to the stone tiled ground. The sound of metal and stone clashing was harsh. I winced, the sound painful to my own ears. Certainly I destroyed it.

However, my iPhone was perfectly fine, thanks to the Utomic metal bumper I had on it. The bumper, however, was bent. It was nothing more than aluminum, after all. I figured that, since I was buying new AirPods, I could splurge a bit more and try out a phone case I had always been curious about: Apple’s iPhone X Leather Case.

While I was eventually able to bend my Utomic case back into a shape closely resembling its original form, I have been using the Apple case for about three weeks, enough time to drop it hard once, and, surprisingly, get a few marks on it unrelated to traumatic falls.

 

Protection 3 / 5

When I first got the case, it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be thicker, as nearly every other leather product I’ve owned has been relatively thick. This is not, it’s thin and stiff. It feels as though there is a thin layer of leather wrapped around a hard plastic spine. However, this leather and plastic, along with a felt liner on the back, does offer some decent protection for your phone. While surviving a disastrous sounding drop from about a foot and a half onto a glass surface isn’t a great test, it did convince me that this case isn’t useless when it comes to average drops.

The Apple Leather Case covers three edges and the back of your phone, as well as all buttons. The bottom has a large cutout for the speakers, microphone, and lightning port. The bottom is still protected by areas that wrap around the corners, but it’s the least protected side, besides the front, of course. There is a slight lip on the front though, so you can place your phone face on a flat surface without worrying about scratching the screen.

Apple’s leather case is focused more on appearance and lightness, but does provide some protection, and will likely be enough to protect your phone from most falls.

 

Looks 5/ 5

I love the look of leather, even if I don’t like the source of it very much (I’m kind of an on again-off again vegetarian). I’ll don one of my faux leather jackets at the first sign of a chill. Naturally, I love the look of this case. The leather is smooth and treated in the color of your choice. Apple offers a wide variety of colors to choose from. The red color is vibrant, far more than it appears in Apple’s images. Surprisingly, Apple is actually underselling how good this color looks. Not only do I like this particular shade of red, I also like that a portion of the profits from the sale of this case went towards the fight against AIDS. The buttons are in a matching color, and are made of aluminum, giving them a luster that captures and reflects light. On the back is an embossed Apple logo, which is subtle and classy, not gaudy or overdone as a logo can sometimes be.

Weight 5 / 5

As I mentioned in the protection section, this is a very lightweight case. The leather is thin, and wrapped around a sliver of a spine, made of what feels like hard plastic. It’s slightly flexible, but not in the way TPU cases are. It doesn’t add much bulk to any side of your phone. You might actually like the amount it does add, as it allows your phone to lay flat on its back, and also feels natural in the hand. Unlike more protective cases, it’ll be a welcome addition to your phone, one that won’t weigh you down (sorry, I couldn’t help it).

Ease of Use 4 / 5

The buttons on this case are incredibly tactile. It’s as though you’re interacting with the button beneath directly. That’s because they’re attached to the case with a flexible area, and sit flush against the buttons of your device. The smallest press will trigger the buttons beneath. So why the 4 / 5 rating? Once again, my short fingernails have become (or revealed) a problem. The area around the mute switch is tiny, making it very difficult to get your fingernail in there to toggle the mute switch. If you’ve got long or thin nails, perhaps you won’t have an issue, but if you keep them impeccably short, as I do, then you may occasionally face some frustration.

Grip 2 / 5

When I first got this, it seemed as though the leather was dry and slippery. It’s still not my grippiest case, but it seems to have a little bit more grip now. Perhaps it’s simply because the summer has gotten warmer and my hands aren’t as dry. However, it seems as though the leather may have absorbed some of the oils from my hands, making it easier to hold. Whether or not this is actually the case, I can’t be sure of. However, when I first got it, it was quite slippery (thus my small accidental test drop). Your mileage may vary, however, I believe they may become more grippy over time.

Durability 1 / 5

Leather will not maintain the same look forever. Even treated leather will wear over time. This case will do the same. I’ve seen other people’s leather cases that eventually look like old heirlooms in the short time they’ve had them. I’ve already noticed some wear on the bottom corners where the red coloration has worn off. This is troubling, the case isn’t even a month old yet. I wouldn’t mind a patina, or a natural wearing, but losing its color like this is unattractive. This is likely because I store my phone in my back pocket when I walk around, which causes this area to rub against my jeans. You don’t expect a case like this to maintain its looks forever, which, perhaps is what you want, but you also don’t want it looking like it’s falling apart, and this kind of wear is leaning into that territory. Leather should change, but last.

Value 3.5 / 5

Apple’s case is $50. It certainly looks premium. However, when the case isn’t on the phone, you notice how flimsy it feels. The fact that it can wear down, rather than age, is also troubling. I hope it doesn’t fall apart on me. It’s definitely a premium case, but I’m not sure it’s a $50 case. That feels a little expensive for it. $40, the price they charge for their TPU case, would be more fitting, although I think that, too, is overpriced. You pay for the high-end feel and the perfect fit to the Apple hardware, but most of all, you pay for that embossed Apple logo on the back.

Overall 2 / 5

This is a lovely case. It’s mostly easy to use, it looks nice, and it is slim, adding very little bulk. It’s certainly not the most protective case you can buy, but it’ll likely protect your phone from most drops. Is it the perfect case? No, it’s a little expensive and I’m afraid it won’t last forever. However, it’s often forgettable, in a good way. You forget there’s something between you and your phone. If that’s how you prefer your case, to be protective without being obtrusive—as I do—then perhaps it is perfect for you. Between the looks and seamless nature of it, the Apple Leather Case is one of my favorite smartphone cases, and I hope I can use it for many months and see how it ages.

UPDATE:

It really hasn’t aged well. The wear on the case has very quickly made it look awful. I’ve seen the wear on some leather cases, including Apple’s, but none is this severe. This doesn’t look like well-worn leather, it looks like junk.

Apple didn’t build these cases to last, so I had to go back and change my rating, as well as update my suggestion: do not buy.