Many who are in the market for an iPhone 5 case want something simple to give their device a fair amount of protection while still maintaining the device’s thin profile. With iWALK’s Easy wear i5 case ($19.99), you get just that, but with a bit of a catch, some of which is good while the rest of pretty bad.
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To start things off, this case is priced at just about $20 from iWALK’s website. I believe that this price is fair for the case, but the lack of extras makes me believe otherwise, but just slightly.
The case itself is primarily made of plastic materials, consisting of an outer band, or “bumper,” that’s fixed onto a clear back shell. The two pieces can be removed, but it’s not really necessary for the installation or removal of your device.
Speaking of installation, it’s a bit different than most cases, which some may actually find themselves liking. In the upper-left corner of the case is a little notch, which lifts up the top latch, allowing you to slide your iPhone 5 in from the top. Once the phone is into place and the latch is closed, you have a fairly secure way of transporting your device. However, should you drop it onto the ground, the top latch can actually fling open, opening the potential for your iPhone 5 to slide out of it and onto the ground.
In terms of design, all of the materials are glossy, meaning it will attract plenty of fingerprints, dust, debris, and scratches. The rear-facing camera cutout is plenty wide, but not too tall, which I find to be a good thing. Though, you might run into some flash issues in lowly-lit areas, due to the cutout not offering any sort of black ring.
The case’s button covers are quite good, typically offering plenty of feedback, while the silent switch cutout is a bit recessed and deep. Fortunately, the Lightning port cutout at the bottom of the case is plenty large for even third-party Lightning cables. The 3.5mm headset jack cutout is pretty average sized, so headphones with oversized plugs might run into some issues in terms of fit.
All told, this is a pretty simple case that offers plenty of attractive features that’s thrown a curveball when you look a little bit closer. Basically, the glossy finish throughout the case will attract many fingerprints and scratches, making the case look cheap and dirty even after a short period of time. However, if you’re able to look beyond that, I think you’ll enjoy this particular case.
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