The SKECH Echo Air case will allow you to enjoy 10-foot drop protection, without sacrificing wireless charging capabilities or weight.
Like many early adopters, September is the month that I upgrade my iPhone. For those that choose to wait, Black Friday or Christmas may provide the perfect opportunity to acquire new tech. As the price of the iPhone climbs, it becomes ever more important to protect the investment with a case. Perhaps when you add the iPhone 11 Pro Max to your cart, you may look toward the cases from SKECH.
The SKECH Echo Air iPhone 11 Pro Max case arrived in a 4 3/8 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall by 3/4 inches thick retail package. The main focal point of the cover was the oblique 2 5/16 inches wide by 5 inches tall glossy, slightly raised image of the Echo Air Case. The title was boldly listed along the top left, the product name was listed along the bottom left, for new iPhone 6.5” was listed along the bottom right, and a Drop Tested 10 Foot/3.1 meter logo was listed along the top right. Along the left side of the cover panel, SKECH listed four of the major aspects of their case: Wireless Charging Compatible, Shockwave Technology, 1 Year Warranty, Easy Grip Ridges. The top panel had a white plastic hanging tab, the right and bottom panels were devoid of text/imagery and the left panel displayed “open.” The back panel detailed the “ULTIMATE IMPACT PROTECTION” against shock and strong impacts. Similar to the cover panel, the main focal point of the back panel was the two glossy, slightly-raised, labeled, images of the case. The top picture provided a 1/4 inches tall by 3 3/16 inches wide side view of the slim-design case. The lower obliquely angled, 1 1/2 inches wide by 3 inches tall, image detailed the easy-grip ridges and the Shock-Proof construction.
I lifted the magnetic cover flap and was pleased to find another labeled image of the Echo Air Case. The 1 5/8 inches wide by 3 3/8 inches tall glossy image detailed the scratch-resistant surface, the easy grip ridges, shockproof construction, responsive buttons, 1.4mm Bezel for screen protection, mounting plate compatible, port protection. Along the bottom of the panel, SKECH included a side by side image of the lower corner of their case. The images displayed the interlocking hard/soft materials along the edges of the case and the mechanism of force distribution upon striking a surface. Just to the right of the inner flap, I was pleased to see the case directly resting upon a white pedestal. I removed the 4.5″ x 8.25″ x 0.75″ ounce grey case from the packaging and slid the right side of my iPhone 11 Pro Max into the case. Using my thumbs, I pressed the top, left and bottom of the phone into the case. Once installed, the 1/2 inches wide by 1/4 inches tall lightning port, the dual 11/16 inches wide by 1/8 inches tall speaker ports, the 7/16 inches long by 3/16 inches wide volume toggle port, and the 1 3/16 inches wide by 1 1/4 inches tall camera cutout were perfectly placed. Along the left side of the phone (power button side), you will find a 3/4 inches long by 1/8 inches wide raised plastic power button. Along the other side of the case, you will find two 7/16 inches long by 1/8 inches wide volume buttons. I was quite pleased with the raised plasticized buttons, as they had a more responsive click-feel than those of typical silicone buttons.
Beyond the cutouts and buttons of the silicone shell, SKECH added a few extra protective features. Even though the case promised a respectable 10-foot drop protection, preventing a fall appeared to be their initial focus. The back surface of the case lacked the typical/characteristic smooth texture seen in many cases. Instead, the back of the case had a mildly tacky feel and the sides of the case were ribbed. The tacky texture seemed to attract fingerprints and oil, and also seemed to stick directly to my fingers. Additionally, the slightly raised rim around the camera cutout and along the front of the screen added a degree of glancing protection and would protect the camera/screen from direct impact/falls. The lightweight material added very little to the overall heft of the iPhone 11 Pro Max but the coloration detracted from the inmate beauty of my phone. The semi-transparent, tinted, surface allowed me to see the Apple logo through the case. However, I was not able to visualize the midnight green color of my phone, except through the camera cutout, the lightning port cutout, and the volume toggle cutout. This was not that concerning for me, but it may be enough to detract those favoring a more au naturel appearance.
I have enjoyed the case over the past 1.5 weeks and found that the lightning port, speakers, camera cutout and buttons exceeded my expectations. I was able to access the volume toggle but I missed the far superior volume toggle click-wheel employed by Catalyst cases. I did not experience any major stumbles, falls, or guffaws during testing. My encased iPhone 11 Pro Max either rested on my nightstand wireless charging stand or stayed on my right hip, contained within a Nite-Ize phone holster. While riding in my truck, I leaned forward and my seatbelt clip pushed my phone out of the holster. It fell onto the floorboard of my truck and I was pleased to find no damage to the phone and case. To test the case, I did drop my phone from about shoulder height (ear height) onto my kitchen table. The phone bounced off of the bottom lightning port, bounced and landed directly on the screen. Again, I was pleased to find no damage to the phone or to the case. For a second test, I attempted to recreate my phone falling out of the holster. From waist height, I dropped the phone onto the volume toggle side and it solidly struck my hardwood floor. The phone bounced and then rolled onto the back of the phone. Yet again, I was pleased to find that the case protected my phone from a fall that would have cracked/broken the phone without protection.
With all of the features of the SKECH Echo Air case, I was shocked to learn that the device could be purchased for under $30. The back material allowed my iPhone to achieve 7W wireless charging when tested with my Ventev Wireless Chargestand, protected my screen from accidental scratches and also protected my phone from the test falls described above.
Learn more about the ECHO AIR case from SKECH
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