Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsNot cheap enough to justify when it feels minimally durable
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2023
I had to send it back immediately and order a Caudabe case instead which I was leary of cause I like to order direct from Amazon and had to go third party. 1000% stoked on that choice after comparing the Caudabe and the Smartish side by side and seeing how the Smartish sides eventually separate from the back w/ use making the case useless. if it was priced at >$12.99, it'd do in a pinch... Like while you wait on your new Caudabe case to show up - but I personally wouldn't trust my Apple taxed investment in this case long term or even for day-to-day use in the interim with how thin and pliable the cash material is, and THAT is exactly why immediately removed the Smartish cases, put my new iPhone back in its factory box and went back to using my busted SE until my Caudabe Sheath showed up in the mail. Finally, a win. For the durability, it seemed more suited to just having on the desk using a magsafe charger, maybe a work phone that doesn't get a lot of carry or is always in a zippered bag or jacket pocket when mobile because the drop protection seemed overexaggerated at best and I wasn't looking to find out for myself.
If it doesn't provide a nice handfeel/grip, and adaquate drop protection with DURABLE corner materials to protect the frame and that that will hold up to frequent light tumbles w/ out the edges separating or the corners tearing/chipping/crumbling away and exposing the bare phone beneath, then "No case is the best case" IMHO. There's a million cases out these days and finding one that's slim, sleek, protective, magsafe compatible and going to hold up for more than just a couple months without absolute babying is way harder than I could have bargained for - even the apple branded Magsafe cases are absolute garbage for the cost. I wanted for the case for me to be the Smartish so bad I ordered two models at once, assured I'd love both after extensive research - the Slim Gripmunk and the Wallet Slayer - I had So. Much. Hope.
The Wallet Slayer felt awesome in design, trim and sleek but able to hold a whopping few cards AT LEAST or some cash. I thought I'd found it. Alas, it was made of the same just-a-little-too-soft and flexible material as the Gripmunk and I knew the internal spring that held the cards in made of the same material would eventually give way. I instantly (begrudgingly) popped this thing back off after a short moments admiring of its slick (Smartish, if you will) feel and ergonomics and then deciding that those just weren't going to cut it. And with that, w/ my primary concern being corner durability over time, snugness on the device, one piece construction, magsafe compatibility and a low-profile no frills minimalistic approach, I bit the bullet and bought the Caudabe Sheath - one of the first few cases I had looked at in my research and decided was too expensive for just a phone case and something cheaper would do. The difference in build quality is night and day with the latter being more rugged feeling around the edge rigidity empty than the Smartish does WITH the phone inside - those Smartish bezels are just TOO flexible. Suffice to say, for once, I'm glad I trusted my gut and went with a case not even 2x the price to be met with the 10x the peace of mind. The material on the Smartish items felt like it would lend to gouging, breaking, chipping, crumbling or detaching around seams in a relatively short while if dropped on anything abrasive like outdoor ground rather than carpet, while the CS has a much more rugged shocklite material that seems almost self healing, or just too tough to take a gouge in the first place and I love how rugged it feels in the palm - IF YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR: Smartish is going in the right direction with design but the material leaves a lot to be desired and the Wallet Slayer 1 seemed superior for the new edition, had the Wallet Slayer 1 been more rigid on the bezels and not so weak at the charging port I'd have kept it - if you're not that anal and mostly carry your phone in a bag or purse the Wallet Slayer 1 is sweet cause you can have your cards and cash on you and ditch the wallet at home. For me, I use my phone a lot and it falls it gets set down in garages and and on rough surfaces and had I been using the Smartish the past two weeks it would already be showing signs of wear - this Caudabe? Practically hisses at me and DARES me to break it in. Buy what you can afford, but two of the cheapest Smartish cases will actually cost more than one Caudabe, and you still end up replacing both of them before the latter even begins to let you know that its tired. So in the end, its really just not economical to get the Smartish for any reason. I'm holding out hope they upgrade the materials, cause if that Wallet Slayer was even 70% as durable as the Sheath it would have been my daily driver.