Minimalist MagSafe Case for your iPhone 14 Pro
I started my cell phone journey with a Samsung SGH-i760, had a short stent with the Droid family line, but then moved to the iPhone family at the end of 2015 with the iPhone 6S Plus. Since then, I have upgraded every 1-2 years to the latest/greatest devices. Similarly, my wife transitioned from Android to iPhone, while two of my children received their first iPhone when they turned twelve. With the increasing costs for purchase/repair, I opt to purchase Verizon’s Mobile Protect for most of our phones and Apple Care + for the remaining devices. Despite the insurance policy, I still require my kids to have cases/screen protectors for their gadgets.
I regularly use a bumper-style case sans screen protector, while my wife/children enjoy bumper-style cases and screen protectors. Recently, my 12-year-old son requested to go caseless, like one of his friends at school. I relayed information about the cost of phones, drops/bumps/scuffs, and phone damage, but he pleaded that he wanted a less bulky option. He wanted to enjoy more of the phone aesthetic without so much plastic. We reviewed options and found a reasonable/minimalistic opportunity with the Pitaka MagEZ Case 3. He was excited about the MagSafe capability, wireless charging, the open side/button layout, and the protective nature/design of the case.
Unboxing:
The Pitaka MagEZ Case 3 arrived in a 4 1/4 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall by 7/8 inches thick hanging-style retail package. The cover panel displayed the company name/logo at the top edge and the MagEZ Case 3 name for iPhone Series 6.1P plus Pita Flow 600 logo along the bottom. The center segment displayed a large image of a pro-style iPhone within the Pitaka case. I liked the visual representation of the camera cutout, the raised rim, and the ridged design of the cover. Additionally, I enjoyed the appeal of the black-on-white visual contrast between the case and phone.
The rear panel provided a few product features along the top of the panel (weighs approximately 0.61oz/17.3g, 0.95mm thinness, MagSafe Compatible, Wireless Charging Friendly, Aramid Fiber), product descriptions, address information, QR code, social medial icons, a product SKU barcode, and information about the recyclable packaging. The outer cardboard slipcover was quickly removed from the thin, recycled, white-colored shell. For the nature conservationists, myself included, I was pleased to discover the etched cover statement regarding the 100% biodegradable materials. I genuinely appreciate when companies can use renewable resources and look forward to the day it is commonplace.
Review:
I lifted the lid of the packaging and removed the rigid, 0.6-ounce, 2 13/16 inches wide by 5 13/16 inches tall by 1/2 inches thick phone case from the inner shell. Before disposing of the packaging, make sure to remove the hidden accessories within the cardboard cutout. You will find a thin plastic sheet with three 11/16 inches wide by 25/32 inches tall shim-stickers and an accordion-style Pitaka Product Catalog. The slim minimalist case provided a rigid solid back panel with a visually appealing black/dark grey oblique thatched design. The 1 3/8 inches wide by 1 7/16 inches tall camera cutout was raised ~1/8 inches from the back panel and provided glancing protection. Without a phone installed, there was a bit of wiggle/rattle within the camera case/junction, which was eliminated once the Pro-style iPhone 14 was installed.
The right side panel was protected by a 1 1/4 inches long by 3/8 inches tall segment at the upper corner and 5 7/8 inches long by 3/8 inches tall lower segment. The case provided a 1 5/8 inches wide (base) by 1 7/8 inches wide (top) by 1/4 inches tall tapered, trapezoidal cutout for the volume toggle and the volume up/volume down buttons. The left side panel provided a 1 7/8 inches long by 3/8 inches tall segment that wrapped along the top edge of the phone. The lower segment had a 3 3/8 inches long by 3/8 inches tall segment that wrapped around the lower left edge of the phone. You will also find a 13/16 inches wide (base) by 1 1/8 inches wide (top) by 1/4 inches tall trapezoidal cutout for the power button. The top and bottom panels had 2 inches wide (base) by 2 1/4 inches wide (top) by 1/4 inches tall trapezoidal cutouts. The bottom panel had a secondary 1/8 inches tall cutout beneath the lightning port to reduce charger obstruction. The front edge provided ~1/16 inches tall raised border to minimize contact with the screen when face down. The MagSafe backplate adhered perfectly to several MagSafe chargers and allowed wireless charging of the phone.
Each cutout provided a three-border protection without limiting access to the buttons/ports. I could access the volume buttons, power button, and volume toggle without issue. Several case designs provide a much-too-small rectangular cutout for the toggle, which limits access for those with larger fingers. Neither my son nor I experienced any problems with this case. We liked that we could quickly/easily access all the buttons while protecting the back, front, and side panels. Additionally, the lower cutouts did not impede Lightning port access to any cable that I tried or volume output via the speakers. To test the drop capability, I dropped each corner of the phone approximately one foot onto my hardwood floor. For aa second test, I increased this to approximately two feet to simulate a drop from my kitchen table. After the ninth drop, the case landed flat on the back of the phone by mistake. I was pleased to find no damage to the case, to the camera, to the screen, or the side/back of the iPhone.
Despite the positives of the case, it is still quite minimalistic and leaves little to the imagination. The sale price of $48.99 is a bit more palatable than the $60 price tag and reminds me a bit of the ripped/torn jeans trend. Why would you pay more for someone to damage your pants already? Alas, the case was a hit to my son and provided some degree of drop protection to the phone. If the black color is not to your liking, I would recommend that you navigate to their webpage and peruse the other color options (600D Black/Grey Twill, 600D Rhapsody, 1500D Black/Grey Twill, 1500 Black/Gray Twill, 600 D Overture, 1500D Movement). Lastly, if you want a similar design for the iPhone 15 series, look to the Pitaka EZ Case 4. For those who want more protection, check out the Pitaka Case Pro 3 for a case with full sides and Mil-STD 810H drop protection.
Learn more about the PItaka EZ Case 3.
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