When Apple announced the iPhone 13, I immediately got on Moment’s website. I was going to preorder the iPhone 13 mini and wanted to make sure I had a case for it on day one. Moment’s site went live with the orders, and I placed one immediately, before I even had a chance to order my iPhone 13 mini.
I wouldn’t actually have my Moment case for months later, and I wouldn’t have the one for this review for nearly five months. What happened? Well, as it turns out, a problem with the design of the first ones had made them too small for the iPhone 13 mini. It seemed as though it was using the iPhone 12 mini proportions, that is, thinner. It just didn’t fit right. Moment admitted they had a production problem and offered to send me their clear case, which didn’t have the production problem. It would be months before I had it in my hands, apparently held up due to problems with the production of the Moment lens mount.
Moment seems to have their issues together, but it was months that I couldn’t use my Moment lenses. It started me off on a sour note for this case. While Moment’s support was absolutely fantastic, and did the best they could, it’s a shame a company selling hundreds of dollars worth of lenses couldn’t get the case to support those lenses together more quickly.
Still, after months of waiting, I have the Moment iPhone 13 mini clear case in hand. How does it stand up to my other cases as well as the iPhone 12 mini case?
In This Article:
Specs
- Height: 135.44mm
- Width: 68.3mm
- Depth: 10.60mm
- Weight: 32g
Overall, this adds about 2mm to each side of your iPhone and 3mm to the depth. That’s likely 2mm on the back and 1mm up front. The iPhone 13 mini weighs 141g, so this adds about 23% of the phone’s weight to the overall weight of your setup.
This is also slightly thinner than the old Moment case, although about 2g heavier. That case was made from a lightweight compostable material, this is standard TPU.
In general, the case is on the slimmer side, making it perfectly sized for people not looking to add much bulk to their iPhone.
Protection – 9/10
This is a dense material. In fact, it’s a little thinner than my iPhone 12 mini case from Moment, however it’s slightly heavier. There’s a certain point where a material can be too dense, and transfer shock through the material to your phone, but this isn’t there. Instead, it has a stiff TPU feeling, with just a little bit of give. It feels as though it’ll absorb a good amount of shock from a drop, and has certainly survived a number of drops already. However, you won’t find special construction on the inside, like air gaps, to keep the shock from a fall from going into the corners or other more vulnerable parts of your phone.
This case covers all of the corners, with a lip around the edge to protect your screen. The lip is smaller on the bottom edge, but still comes up slightly over the screen to provide protection. It snaps on tightly, but isn’t overly difficult to remove by hand. There’s good lens protection here as well, especially if you use a lens mount.
Looks – 8/10
Clear cases are made not to be seen. With MagSafe cases, especially with cases with additional features like Moment’s, there are different visual elements that change the appearance of your iPhone. For MagSafe, you get the giant lollipop on the back of your device. Some companies have color matched these to the colors of your iPhone, so it doesn’t stand out too much. This works out quite well, but it’s not what Moment did here. They also didn’t color match the lens plate, which looks out of place on a white iPhone.
Overall, it’s a clear case that isn’t so soft that it’ll be covered in scratches in a week. It’s a good enough design, but Moment didn’t go the extra mile to make it look as good as it could have.
Ergonomics – 5/10
The buttons are clicky, but the rest leaves a lot to be desired.
On the plus side, I didn’t have to cut out the buttons on this case, as they’re clicky on their own. Similarly, the area on the bottom of the screen is flatter than the other three sides, making swiping up from the bottom of the screen easier. These were nice design decisions.
However, this is the first time I’ve had to buy grip stickers for a case.
This case is slippery. If your hands are dry, you’ve got no hope of holding your phone in this case. The edges are rounded and the texture is smooth. It’s incredibly slick. I eventually added grip stickers to the sides and bottom corners, which helped a lot. Without them, my phone was awkward, even difficult to use. With them, however, I can forget that this case was originally quite slippery. I do recommend them for people who find their phone is slick, but it’s not something you should have to do for a case. A case should bring the grip, not require you add something else. The grip stickers were from some no-name brand on Amazon, and were basically just thin textured silicone stickers. I paid under $10 for them, and they work quite well.
Sustainability – 0/10
It’s plastic, arrived in a plastic bag, and Moment now ships the Moment lens plate accessory separately. Moment’s last case was compostable, and one of my favorites for that. This year, they canceled their compostable line of cases. Moment took quite a few steps backwards here.
Durability – 7/10
Despite quite a few drops, the case has held up quite well. A scuff here or there, but mostly intact. I’ve been using it for a few months now and it looks decent enough. The clear plastic back will scratch, and this will get worse with time, but it’s harder than I expected. Another thing to consider is that this is a clear plastic TPU case. That means over time it will likely yellow and begin to look terrible, like the walls of a chain smoker’s house. Modern plastics have been able to last a few years before starting to show signs of yellowing, but know that, if you want to keep your iPhone for three or more years, you’ll probably need another case at some point.
Value – 7/10
The lens mount plate used to be free, now purchased separately.
This is a $50 case. On top of that, you have to order the drop-in lens mount separately, for $5. Then you add in the grips I had to add which set me back a paltry $7, but, in total, you’re looking at $62 for a cellphone case. That’s a bit rich. For that, you do get a dense, well-made case that also has access to Moment’s fantastic lenses. These cellphone lenses have been great for quick photography, and are easy to pack in a bag for trips and sight-seeing when you may not want to pack a full-sized camera. For example, a nice ride to the park? Toss those little lenses in a bag, know they’re safer than my camera would be, and shoot shots my iPhone could never take on its own at the park.
I docked points off because it does feel like Moment is charging quite a bit for an entry product to a larger ecosystem. The fact that this is such a smooth, featureless clear case also detracts from its value. But I certainly don’t regret buying it, as I would for a poor value case, instead, I just wish it was a little more designed, a little more creative for this price.
MagSafe Compatibility 4/6
I haven’t figured out how to score MagSafe compatibility yet. However, I had an idea. What if I gave it points for the various features or potential shortcomings of MagSafe? With that in mind, I came up with this simple rubric:
- Does it have MagSafe? +1
- Is the magnetic strength…
- Weak? +0
- Average? +1 or +2, depending on strength
- Stronger than Apple’s? +3
- Finally, does it have the vertical alignment bar? +2, as this is important
So, with this in mind, MagSafe compatibility for this is a 4/6. The magnetic strength is about average, maybe a little lower. On top of that, it has the vertical alignment bar. Overall, it’s a pretty standard MagSafe implementation. While I’ve tested better, I’ve also tested worse.
Other Features
It’s hard to quantify the value of these lenses. I’ve heard people say, “I’d love an iPhone 13 mini, but I want the telephoto and macro lenses on the iPhone 13 Pro!” People want an iPhone 13 Pro mini. With these camera lenses, that’s exactly what you get. In fact, it’s even better. The 2x telephoto lens creates realistic bokeh and helps you get closer to your subjects. The macro lens has a hood so you can light your macro subjects with bright, soft light. There’s fisheye and wide angle lenses as well, but what’s really cool is their cinematic anamorphic lens. This allows you to create those theatrical wide angle shots with your iPhone.
Moment’s lenses aren’t cheap, but they’re well-made and dense. They’re compact and useful. Even if you think you might get into these external lenses, the Moment case is a good first investment. But then you’ll look at that case with that camera lens attachment for 5 minutes and suddenly realize you definitely need a zoom lens. Watch a few anamorphic lens videos or see a few macro shots and you’ll realize you need those too. Since I got the iPhone 12 mini, I’ve been slowly adding to my Moment lens collection, and I really like what it lets my iPhone do.
Overall – 7/10
This is definitely a downgrade over the previous model in a number of key areas, like sustainability, grip, and weight. It is more durable and more protective, however. The best part of this case isn’t the case, but what it enables: Moment’s lens system. The case itself is mediocre enough that I’d say, unless you really want a clear case, you should just go for one of Moment’s solid color cases. While the initial batch of these had defects, Moment has seemingly fixed those problems and has been shipping cases that fit properly.
If you want to turn any iPhone into a “better than pro” iPhone, Moment’s lens system is the best way to go. If you want to do that, you’ll need one of Moment’s cases. If camera quality alone is the most important thing you’re looking for, then either Moment’s clear or solid cases are your only two options. They’re not bad options, but outside of the lenses, they’re rather boring. If you’re not looking to upgrade your lenses, the clear Moment case might not be right for you. It’s a little too basic. However, if you want the best your iPhone camera can offer, one of Moment’s cases in whatever style you like are the way to go.