Zagg Gear4 Denali iPhone 13 mini Case Review

Reading Time: 4 minutes.

With the iPhone 12, Apple introduced MagSafe. Since then, it has become one of the most important parts of the iPhone ecosystem of accessories. I use it for my wallet, which is just Apple’s MagSafe wallet. I also use it to charge my devices on little MagSafe stands. I even got a MagSafe sticker for my Motorola Razr case so I could charge it with MagSafe. MagSafe rocks.

The listing for the Zagg Gear4 Denali claimed it had MagSafe. It doesn’t. The “Denali Snap” does, but the listing didn’t specify that the Denali Snap didn’t come for the iPhone 13 mini. Zagg’s listing on their website that mentions MagSafe compatibility for the Denali case, no “Snap” in the name. This simply isn’t true.

“MagSafe Compatible: Denali works with Apple’s MagSafe charging system. Denali has magnets in the case, so the charger “snaps” into place and aligns perfectly for fast wireless charging.”

– From Zagg’s website, accessed November 22, 2023

I don’t really use cases that don’t have MagSafe. I’ve modified cases in the past to accommodate MagSafe, but the design of this case actually made that extremely difficult and not with the effort.

That’s also why this case review will be short. Cases should have MagSafe. This isn’t rocket science. It’s a ring of magnets. The case manufacturers that didn’t offer MagSafe on the iPhone 13 mini are ridiculous. Why not? Everyone else could. Apple could. Android devices are going to have it built-in as early as next year! So here’s a speedy review of the Zagg Gear4 Denali case.

Specs:

• Width: 69.83mm
• Height: 137.46mm
• Depth: 12.15mm
• Weight: 38g
• Perceived Thickness: 11.03 (one of my highest!)

Protection: 10/10

This is a thick case with multiple layers of protection. There’s an incredibly rigid outer shell and a more flexible TPE-like layer under it. They combine to make a case that resists impact through its rigidity, while cradling your phone with a dense yet flexible layer. It’s a clever way to ensure multiple types of materials combine different forms of protection. That rigid shell will ensure shocks don’t get transferred to your phone, and the tough TPE-like layer is flexible, yet firm. This is the kind of case that feels like it can protect your phone against serious drops.

Ergonomics: 3/10

You had to know this would come next. Any case that’s tough enough to protect against serious drops is going to have ergonomics issues. This case is thick and it feels thick. It’ll make your iPhone 13 mini feel almost as large as one of Apple’s other phones, all phablet-sized. The buttons are also far more rigid than they should be, with only cutouts on the bottom portion of the TPE material. The only reason this doesn’t have a 1/10 is because the back has some nice ridges on the hard “D30” plastic portion. These do improve grip enough to keep you from dropping your phone, and even extend to the sides of the phone slightly. If this case didn’t have other issues with the buttons and size, this would have been a well-rated design.

Appearance: 6/10

It’s a large case, and it certainly looks like one of those “beefy” cases, but it also doesn’t look too bad. The orange accents on the back are a nice touch, and the ridges add some variety on the back. Branding is minimal enough. Yes, it does look bulky, and that’s not great looking, but if you’re going to have a bulky case, you want it to at least look like they also concerned themselves with appearance. Zagg did, and this case, while a bit plain, does look nice despite its bulk. I’d actually use this if it had MagSafe.

I did have to take some points off for the construction of the case. The pieces fit together with such difficulty that it can be a bit of a struggle to get this thing on your iPhone properly. Corners sticking out a little, some of your phone visible from the front, it’s as though the case doesn’t quite fit the phone perfectly. Maybe it doesn’t? Some phone manufacturers didn’t account for the fact that the iPhone 13 mini was ever so slightly thicker than the iPhone 12 mini, improving battery life. More likely it’s because the two layers of the case don’t always fit together perfectly.

Sustainability: 4/10

Here’s something unexpected: this case is actually designed with recycling in mind. The two layers of the case can split apart, and you can even peel off the backing on the inside. When you disassemble it, you can recycle parts of the case like you can a plastic bottle. The TPE-like section would still have to go to somewhere like Terracycle, but it’s refreshing to see a design that’s literally made for recycling. Well done, Zagg! All cases should be ready to come apart like this for recycling and re-use. Fantastic.

Unfortunately, it is still not all recyclable material, but it’s surprisingly better than you’d expect. The packaging wasn’t great, and there’s still plastic here. So, while the design was a good idea, the materials just aren’t there yet.

MagSafe 0/6

Despite Zagg’s website claiming the “Denali has magnets in the case,” it does not. This is not a case of weak magnets either, I took the case apart and looked. No MagSafe. The listing is simply false. The “Denali Snap” line might have MagSafe, but the “Denali” does not, despite Zagg’s listing. This might be the case for the iPhone 13 mini only, and perhaps they just copied and pasted the listing from the iPhone 13. Regardless, Zagg, which includes popular battery manufacturer Mophie, lied on this listing.

Value: 2/10

A case without MagSafe has no value, even when it’s on sale for $15 on Zagg’s website, or less than $10 on Amazon. Still, those are good prices for a protective case, if you can put up with the fact that it doesn’t have MagSafe. At full price, Zagg would have charged $50 for a case that claims to have MagSafe but doesn’t. That would have been a terrible value.

Overall: 2/10

How much can I say about a case I’ll never use again? It doesn’t have MagSafe, it’s useless to me. Worst of all, Zagg actually claimed it would on their website. It’s a tough case, to be sure, and it provides good grip on your phone despite that thickness, although buttons are a little difficult to use. It’s not bad looking for a bulky case either. Still, no MagSafe, no deal.