Here’s how to pick the perfect case to protect your smartphone

A phone case is the first and last line of defence against drops and scratches, and in many ways, it’s the ultimate form of self-expression. Choosing the right case for your phone is as involved and personal a decision as the choice of phone itself.

Design and colours aside, you have to make several other decisions when buying a case. Do you opt for leather, plastic, or silicon? What about faux leather and pleather? Hard plastic or soft plastic? What level of protection would you prefer? Will cases cause your phone to overheat when gaming? Is MagSafe compatibility necessary for an iPhone? And so on.

This guide will help you make sense of these choices and help you find the best case for your smartphone.

Material matters

The choice of material affects the look, feel, protection level, and even how your case ages. Broadly, smartphine cases are available in the following materials.

Hard-plastic cases

First up, you have hard-plastic cases. These are usually cheap, but also light and usually colourful. They tend to be slim and light and don’t add much bulk to your phone – a must-have for many – but they’re also rigid and less resilient than the other materials on this list.

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Plastic cases are generally made from two materials – thermoplastic polyurethane aka TPU, and polycarbonate aka PC. The PC is more rigid than the TPU, but this also makes it more brittle. Both materials do an admirable job of protecting your phone in the event of a drop, but the PC case will have a higher chance of cracking when absorbing the impact. Some cases do offer a rubber coating on top of the plastic, which adds weight, but improves grip and can absorb a lot more impact.

Silicone cases

For someone looking for added protection and/or known to be butter fingered, Silicone cases are a better option. Cases made from this material tend to be thicker and very grippy, but they can also be more sticky, making them more grimy and dirty in the long run. Like plastic cases, Silicone cases don’t age well and can become more brittle over time.

Leather cases

Another option, if you have a higher budget and care for aesthetics, is a leather case. Genuine leather cases are expensive – sometimes costing 3-4x as much as hard-plastic cases – but offer both enhanced protection as well as great aesthetics. Leather also ages very well, with the patina of wear and tear adding character to your phone. Oh, and if you’re opting for a leather case for the patina, avoid the black ones.

Pleather, faux leather, or PU leather is essentially a synthetic leather that looks similar to real leather. This is an excellent alternative to genuine leather if you’re on a budget, and it’s also cheaper to maintain. The downside of course is the fact that it’s made from plastic and that it doesn’t quite match the luxurious feel of genuine leather.

Be warned that thick cases, especially leather ones, will insulate your phone and could cause your phone to run hot when gaming or recording long videos.

Design decisions

While most cases might appear to share similar designs, there are some factors you must take into consideration.

Let’s start with the level of coverage. While most cases completely protect the rear and sides of your phone, ensure that the case you buy has a raised lip around the camera bump and the front of the phone.

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This ensures that when the phone is placed on its back or on its face on a desk for example, the delicate glass surface doesn’t make direct contact with your desk. Some cases are only designed to insulate the corners and the cameras to minimise weight and not impact cooling performance.

Another thing to look out for is clearance around the USB port and audio jack. Some wraparound cases can be quite thick, and not all USB cables will have enough clearance to fit properly in the port, preventing charging and data transfer. To mitigate this issue, some cases leave the bottom uncovered and just add a lip. On a related note, do check for clearance around the speaker ports as well as they shouldn’t be blocked by your case.

You should also look for clearance around the buttons on the frame of your smartphone. If the buttons are covered, you need to check how tactile the covering feels. Premium cases, especially leather ones, will add a metal strip and thinner material over the buttons to improve the feedback from button presses.

A note on MagSafe

MagSafe is an ecosystem of quick-attach accessories that Apple has designed and integrated into its phones and cases. All iPhones since the iPhone 12 include a ring of magnets on the rear of the phone, which magnetically mate with a wide range of accessories ranging from wireless chargers to stands, quick-release attachments, lens mounts, battery packs, and a lot more.

To take advantage of MagSafe, you will need a MagSafe-compatible case that includes embedded MagSafe magnets. Cases without magnets reduce the field strength of the MagSafe magnets on your iPhone and will significantly inhibit your ability to use MagSafe accessories. Chargers will not align, wallets will not stay attached, and so on. Cases that fully support MagSafe will mention this fact clearly on their listing page.

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The best case for you depends entirely on what your priorities are. Budget will determine quality, material choice will determine the look and feel, and the design will determine the overall aesthetic. The right balance between these factors, however, is one that only you can determine.