[SF Matte Black] Apple iPhone 5 Ringke SLIM Soft Feeling Premium Hard Case [AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Unlocked] – Rearth ECO Package

The case is just what you might expect in terms of fit and finish (both are good to excellent). It’s thin so protection from drops is limited (still better than nothing or even a Zagg type plastic adhesive) but protection from scratches is excellent.

From Facebook and the comments here (Rearth responded to my questions quickly), you should know that the SF is different from the LF:
SF = Soft feeling = rubberized coating, same as the well reviewed and similarly described SF Matte Black Samsung Galaxy S3 Rearth Ringke Soft Feeling Case
vs.
LF = Light feeling = plastic with texture for grip but no rubberized coating (also sold on Amazon here).

I’ve hard other rubber coated cases (like this SF model), which I prefer for grip and the matte look (which I think matches the iPhone 5 case rear section, which is non-glossy, though not necessarily “matte,” aluminum). However, I understand some people prefer the easier to remove from your pocket non-rubber coated models like the LF (I do hate when my pocket get turned out as a rubber edge catches the fabric of the pocket, though you learn to accommodate that quickly). Also, the rubber coating on some cases I’ve owned has rubbed off at the corners, hopefully this case rubber coating will be a bit more durable, but for 10 bucks it’s hard to go wrong.

There is a very slight “lip” so you can put the phone down with the screen side on a table but the lip keeps the glass *just* off the surface. With a adhesive screen protector it might be exactly on the same level as the lip; it’s very thin which I prefer. The InCase snap on case for the iPhone 4 has too high a lip for me, but this lip is just right for limited protection while maintaining the form of the phone.

This plus a decent adhesive cover over the glass front is exactly the size and degree of protection I want. It keeps he phone about the same size (it’s surprisingly small/thin/light) while giving decent protection to the corners and back side of the phone. My co-worker didn’t even think there was a case on it because it was still thinner than his “naked” iPhone 4S. While I hope competition drives the prices down, the quality of the case is excellent even at the current price. If I had to choose a replacement, I’d buy the same case again without regret.

[Update upon receipt:]
The SF soft feeling matte black is excellent: not very grippy at all but enough to keep it from sliding around on my car’s dashboard or on my desk. I was able to scrape off the white text on the back without removing the rubber coating so I suspect it will be quite resistant to rubbing off at the corners of the case. The fit is excellent but not perfect (I suspect it will get pretty dang close to perfect after warming up a few times in my pocket, the plastic is hard but somewhat malleable with heat I expect). The feeling is a bit less grip than a similar snap on InCase case; honestly in my subjective opinion it’s just right. Enough to stay in place even when the surfaces are not flat but not so much that it pulls the pocket out of my pants when I take the phone out. Less grip than the rubber surrounds on the Apple Bumper protectors, but with more protection over the back of the case.

** The case comes with a slicker on the portion facing the back side of the phone; I was not certain that this should be removed but I found the fit to be better without the sticker and I don’t think it provides any additional protection. I’d try your case with the sticker first and if you need a little more room to get the edges to “snap” into place, remove the sticker. If your case is too loose, the sticker may improve the fit. However, my case was just right without the sticker and I suspect others will be manufactured to the same specs so forego the sticker.

What good is a thin phone if you stick it in a huge, bulky case on it?

If you have the new Black iPhone 5, like I do, then you will want to protect the finish of your product. Aluminum is light; but also fairly soft. Black anodized aluminum can scuff, scratch and wear to reveal the silvery aluminum finish below. I was looking for a good solid case to protect the anodized finish and yet be as thin as possible to preserve the “thin” profile of my new phone.

I am extremely happy with this case. It was hard to tell from the photo; but the case is very thin. It’s plastic surface is firm, yet has something of a soft feel to it. Not hard like brittle plastic, nor soft like vinyl. I very much like the matte look and warm feel. I suspect this case, though thin, will still offer decent drop protection.

Some reviewers are unhappy there is no covering on top or bottom. I prefer this. It should be noted that while there is not a full cover; there is a slight lip the protrudes at the back (approx. 1mm) that does offer some surface protection; yet stays out of the way of connectors and does not obfuscate the power button or impede speakers.

There is also the slightest protuberance of the case to the front.. perhaps a 0.5mm (I took the inside sticker/label off of case to get it this much – which may indicate just how slight a lip we’re talking about). I very much like cases that do this. I can set phone on it’s face, without scuffing the glass. If I were to use a face protector; the face protector would be about flush with case.

For me, the case is near perfect. If I could change anything; I would change two things. 1. The case name is printed on the back.. I’d prefer it was not. 2. The opening for camera and flash is bigger than it needs to be and close inspection will show a millimeter strip of the aluminum case (in addition to glass panel). A slightly smaller hole would only show the glass.

At $10 this is a decent value. I know they spend much less to mass produce a case like this; but sure beats spending $40 for case at Apple Store.

I think it’s a great case.

Some people write paragraphs, but that’s a little overkill, so here’s an easy at-a-glance review:

+ Does the job
+ As described
+ Good quality materials
+ Thin, light, barely gives any mass to the iPhone 5
+ Feels good
+ Very sight edge raise which should protect the anodized steel section of the front screen on tables, surfaces, etc. That’s good

- Won’t protect the phone in the sense of you dropping it – it’s NOT meant for that. It’s mean to simply deter scratches. For that, it’s perfect.

If it starts peeling, scuffing, falling apart in the next few days, I’ll add to the review. But this is a 5/5 star product. I would buy it again. And I’m the pickest, most anal perfectionist on this entire site. I demand excellence.

The case fits snugglly on the phone providing protection without adding extra bulk and weight to the iPhone 5.

The camera, volume, silent and sleep areas have enough open area to easily access the features without the case interfering.

Plus… the price is unbeatable. I have purchased this case in black, white and orange.

I have recommended this case to others and people have asked me where I purchased this case.

Having changed from a history of black iPhones to a white iPhone, I was determined to go as white as possible: Stormtrooper White. This presented quite the colour-correction challenge, especially online. I actually cycled through several iPhone 5 cases before taking a bit of a chance on this one (you can never really tell what tone of white you’re going to get when you order off a picture). I’m happy to report that Ringke product is spot on perfect:

- brilliant, crisp, bright, Stormtrooper white (noticeably whiter than the previous 2 cases I bought, when placed side-by-side)
- expensive-looking, professional-looking matte white finish
- perfect, flawless fit (not sure why other reviewers are griping about fit issues, mine is so tight and sealed it feels like the phone was shipped that way)

To echo other comments: this is a slim snap-on design. There’s no bulk and no extra nonsense. It follows a sleek minimalist aesthetic. The small ‘Ringke SLIM’ logo at the bottom is a pleasing design touch that seems to bring out the matte, snow white color tone of the case . . . if you have a white iPhone 5 and want the slimmest, sleekest, whitest case, this is a superb choice.

I hate big bulky “protective” cases which totally destroy the look and feel of the iphone. If you are looking for one of those – this is *NOT* it. This is a slim, super low profile case, exactly what I was looking for. Doesn’t even feel like I have a case on. Fits my iphone 5 perfectly!

This minimal case blends in beautifully with the new IPhone 5 design It protects the aluminum case from scratches. The SF (Soft Feeling) provides enough traction to prevent slippage but still easily slides out of my shirt or pant’s pocket. The raised lip prevents any scratches to my screen protector when I lay the phone face down.

Using Apple’s Lightning to 30 pin adapter:
Reviewers unhappy with no covering on top or bottom should reconsider if they will be using Apple’s 30 pin adapter. This case fits perfectly with the Lightning adapter that is now resting on my IPhone 4 IHome Sound System. The first case I ordered Poetic Atmosphere did not work since the case partially covered the bottom of the case which prevented the adapter to go in all the way.

Rearth makes the best slim cases I’ve found. This case is basically like the previous SF black Ringke that’s been selling for a few months now on Amazon, but with a cut out for the Apple logo on the back. What’s better about this version is that the navy color matches the color of the black iPhone 5′s blue aluminum back panel. The blue case probably looks pretty good on the white iPhone as well.

The cut-out window lets you see the back panel and logo, and the fact that the case color perfectly matches the phone back panel color gives the case a little more “wow” factor.

This case also doesn’t have the “Ringke Slim” lettering in white as the first one did. Rearth went with a subtler look on the lettering on this case, instead of white the lettering is in a shinier blue than the surrounding matte blue.

With the case Rearth includes two “logo protector films”, which are simply two little circles of screen protector film cut to provide the newly-exposed logo real estate on your phone with some minor scratch protection. One film covers the area fine, but presumably two are provided either as a spare or in the event that you had a problem applying the first.

An extra tip: with this rubberized Soft Feel material (the SF in the name), over time your hand and fingerprint grease and sweat will accumulate, as it will on most any case material. But to restore the old feel I just spray a puff of glasses or lens cleaner on the case and rub with a microfiber cloth, the same as I would the front of the phone. It cleans off fingerprint oil and restores the rubberized feel like it was when it was brand new, and doesn’t adversely affect the case material.

This case fits great and looks even better. It helps to have a nice slim case that looks good itself while keeping the phone looking good.