A Tale of Two Cases: How my Search for a Slim Case Failed Twice (Spigen Thin Fit and Incipio Feather)

It was the best of phones, it was the worst [protected] of phones. I won’t be publishing this post in a serialized format, so I’ll keep the Dickens references to a minimum so I can keep the article length to one as well.

With the Apple claiming the iPhone XS contains the toughest glass they’ve ever used, I thought it was time to dial back my protection a little bit. I had always gone for cases that offered slim, yet sturdy protection, like those made of soft, rubbery TPU plastic, rather than those made of slim hard plastic or a film. As such, I’ve always used adequate protection. Not the best, but more than enough. I’ve never had a phone break while it was still in the case. Every case I’ve ever reviewed has been tough enough to help my iPhone survive falls.

I know what you’re thinking, I dropped my phone and that’s why my search for a slim case failed twice. No, that’s not what happened. I bought an iPhone XS case, the Spigen Thin Fit hard plastic case. For reasons I’ll get into below, including one very strange complaint, I didn’t like it very much. So, I followed it up with the purchase of the Incipio Feather, a similar case that I dislike for completely different and also unsual reasons. Together, they’re two failed cases, and I’m beginning to think my search for a slim and revealing case will end poorly.

Spigen Thin Fit Review

Looks good, but don’t get your nose too close…

The Spigen Thin Fit is the thinner of these two smartphone cases. It also features a completely open top and bottom, though, strangely, closed (to the top) button areas. This case has holes for the buttons though, so you’re pressing your actual iPhone buttons when operating it.

It’s exceptionally thin, it actually requires a bit of a bump to adequately protect the camera. Therefore, it’s definitely not going to protect your phone in the case of a drop. It’ll be only marginally better than using no case at all.

I was a little leery about how thin it was. I felt like I might as well use my iPhone without the case. But I do prefer the black on gold look to the iPhone XS’s gold back. However, there was one reason I quickly stopped using this phone case: the smell.

So thin, it needs a camera bump.

Do you know that rubbery smell of band-aids? Every once in a while I would get that smell. I recognized it because, a little over a month ago, I got a really nasty cut on my foot. I didn’t go to the doctor because it’s far too expensive (hurray, American “health care”), and held my food together with my own wrappings. Because of this, I went through many band-aids. It’s with some shame that I say I learned the smell of that cheap latex-rubber very well. This iPhone case must have been created with a similar material, because my iPhone still smells like it after taking it off about a week ago and using the Incipio case instead. I’ve started to allow my iPhone plenty of time out of the case to “breathe,” so it perhaps won’t smell like my injured foot anymore.

Incipio Feather Review

It doesn’t look so bad from here, does it?

Ignore the colorful ribbon on the back of my Incipio case. It’s a ribbon loop from Phone Loops. It improves the grip of the case and helps distract from the Incipio case’s glaring flaw: the camera hole.

Incipio can’t center a lens

The Incipio Feather was designed for the iPhone X. Incipio, in an effort to save money, did not redesign their case for the iPhone XS, which is slightly different. The camera has been moved towards the middle of the phone. Instead, before Apple even announced the name of the iPhone XS, they slapped the label on the packaging you can see below, and decided to deceive customers into believing it was a new product. They even charge more for the iPhone XS model than the iPhone X model, despite the only difference being the packaging.

Incipio wasn’t expecting these phones to be different.

Incipio is a trusted name in smartphone cases. Or, at least, they were. This was a scam, with no other word for what Incipio did. They lied to customers and charged them more for a product that does not properly fit their devices. It looks awful and offers little clearance for the camera.

The Rest of the Incipio Feather

Overall, this is the case’s only major flaw. I would have preferred the top of the case to be open, like the bottom, allowing for more areas of the gold band to show, but otherwise, it’s a good case. It’s slim, but offers more protection than the Spigen Thin Fit with a two layer construction and slightly thicker plastic. It has a nicer feel to it, and doesn’t have the Spigen case’s odor problems. It’s light, but could probably protect the iPhone from a short drop. It also protects the screen with a slight lip, and sits slightly above the camera in the back.

Incipio was a brand I’ve trusted for years, since the iPhone 4! No more.

However, because Incipio is scamming customers, it very well may be my last Incipio case. If they’re willing to deceive customers like this, I don’t want to deal with their customer service department, and I certainly don’t want to give them money for another product. We shouldn’t reward deception.

What Now?

I’m at a loss. I think I can deal with the unbalanced Incipio case for some time, but eventually, it’ll drive me mad. The ribbon from Phone Loops helps distract from it, at least. I prefer the look of a black back with the gold sides, but I haven’t found the perfect iPhone case like this yet, something that protects the corners and back, but not the sides. I’ll likely never find what I want here. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend either of these cases. One smells bad, and the other is a scam.

Spigen Thin Fit Rating: 1.5 / 5

• Protection: 0.5 / 5
• Looks: 4 / 5
• Weight: 5 / 5
• Ease of Use: 5 / 5
• Grip: 2 / 5
• Durability: 2 / 5
• Smell: 0 / 5 (I hope to never need to rate scent again)
• Value: 1 / 5

Incipio Feather Rating: 2 / 5

• Protection: 1.5 / 5
• Looks: 1 / 5 (off balance camera hole)
• Weight: 5 / 5
• Ease of Use: 5 / 5
• Grip: 3 / 5
• Durability: 3 / 5
• Value: 0 / 5 (Expensive for what it is: last year’s case)