Review: Incase Snap Case for iPhone 5

Perhaps you are the kind of iPhone user who appreciates the aesthetic of the device, but wants to keep it protected. Sure, there are basic films that protect against minor scratches, but what if you’re still paranoid about drops and bigger bumps along the way? Incase hopes to solve this with its $30 Snap Case, a redesign of a popular iPhone 4/4S case.

Available in clear, transparent reddish orange, opaque glossy white, and translucent frosted black, Incase will most likely expand the lineup in the future, much like its Slider Case family. All feature the same design and the same black ring around the camera cutout, but can complement your taste and iPhone color. Personally, I’d like to see a frosted white/clear model, as it would hide fingerprints and scratches, but complement the white iPhone 5 nicely.

The case does leave quite a bit exposed—the top, bottom, and area around the volume buttons. This is good in the case of the bottom, as a wide variety of accessories should work without hassle. As for the top, this made more sense when the headphone jack could be found here—there’s a lot of exposed aluminum. The case also is a bit thicker than the phone, allowing a “lip” along the edges of the screen for when the iPhone is face down.

The plastic itself feels good in your hand and doesn’t feel like it’s going to shatter. The versions with a glossy finish (clear, opaque white) do collect scratches, but seem no worse than Apple’s earlier polycarbonate Macs. While the price may be a bit higher than similar cases, Incase’s design seems a bit more substantial.

The Snap Case does not include any sort of screen protector, but won’t affect an existing one. Other than it being a tad on the pricey side and having a bit of your iPhone exposed, the Snap Case is a great choice for anyone wanting a minimal case.