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Got a new Apple iPhone 12 Pro? Then you need a case! Tech expert and iPhone veteran Dave Taylor of https://www.AskDaveTaylor.com/ rounded up cases from Otterbox, Speck, Lifeproof, Gear4, Catalyst and Casely to see which was the best fit for the 12 Pro. The answer is... at the end of the video!
Cases from:
Otterbox at https://www.otterbox.com/
Speck at https://www.speckproducts.com/
Lifeproof at https://www.lifeproof.com/
Catalyst at https://www.catalystlifestyle.com/
Gear4 at https://www.zagg.com/
Casely at https://www.getcasely.com/
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0:00
New phone, new cases. Let's check them out
0:11
Dave Taylor here with my new iPhone 12 Pro. And it's a beauty. It's a really nice phone
0:17
I mean, Apple spent so much energy, you know, sort of successively refining their design and engineering
0:23
that this is a really remarkable piece of hardware. It's also expensive and it's also fragile
0:29
Yes, Apple has a really tough glass on the front and everything
0:33
But honestly, if I spend this much money on a device, I want a case
0:37
So, I got a lot of cases. In fact, I have more cases than this
0:41
This is just the starting point. So, I'm going to go through each case
0:45
And as I go through each case, we're going to talk about key features
0:49
And then I'm going to actually talk about the three criterion I use to consider whether a case is good
0:56
One is its ability to match the cutouts and make sure that you have exactly the right space for buttons and controls
1:05
The second one is the bezels to make sure that it's raised enough above the screen
1:11
so that if you hit this way, the phone doesn't take the impact
1:15
And the third one is, does it charge wirelessly? Because obviously, wireless charging is a big deal
1:21
So, we're starting with this. And I'm going to break it up just so you can see it
1:25
This is the OtterBox Commuter. It's a great case. This is antimicrobial, obviously dual-layer
1:32
It is a MIL-STD-810G, which makes it survive an 8-foot drop, which is more than it would be if you left it on the top of your car and accidentally drove off
1:44
Please don't do that. But if you did, it would be okay
1:49
And I'm just making sure that the case is on properly all the way around
1:54
Looks like we're good. So, you can see, it's a pretty perfect size
1:59
It's cutouts and everything. Now, one thing you can tell in this close-up of the mute button
2:05
is that pretty much all of these cases are slightly asymmetric. And the reason for this is that Apple made the mute button really close to the volume up down buttons
2:15
so close that for a case designer to have enough of a cutout that you can access it with your finger
2:22
they need to make it wider than a symmetric slot would be
2:26
So, you have to cope with that tiny bit of asymmetry. Odds are you'll never notice it
2:31
Now, on the bottom, the cutouts are fine and props to OtterBox for having a little tiny lightning connector cover
2:38
Might be slightly annoying. It's pretty easy to cut it off of the case if you really don't want it
2:44
But why would you do that, right? So, the cutouts are really good. It has a really nice hand feel
2:50
And the bezel is well-nigh perfect. It is just enough that even with a screen protector on it, if you chose to go that route
3:00
you would still have the case taking the impact, which is critically important
3:04
So, test number three is, will it charge wirelessly? And let's find out
3:09
I will put it on my handy little Anker charger, and it's charging wirelessly
3:14
Let me turn a little bit more towards you so you can see. So, that's great
3:18
Now, antimicrobial, as I said. This is known as Bespoke Way Blue
3:24
It's a two-tone blue. This is ever so lightly lighter than this is
3:29
And it is $39.95 from OtterBox.com. And I'm going to tell you prices as I go along, and we'll see if I remember to do that throughout
3:40
I'll do my best. All right, next case is also from OtterBox
3:45
This one is a very different style. This is known as the OtterBox Symmetry Graphics Case
3:53
And this one I like, actually. It's this very subtle sort of gold and black marble design
4:00
It is also antimicrobial. It is also dual layer. One thing that's really nice about this is that it's thinner
4:07
It's a thinner case. So, for those of you that aren't real fans of cases, a thinner case is one that's a little easier to handle
4:15
These are a little tricky to take on and off because of the square edges of the 12 Pro
4:21
But let's see. The cutouts are exactly perfect, as you would expect from OtterBox
4:28
The bezel is just about perfect. You know, there's nothing touching, and there's no impact on the screen
4:35
And in terms of wireless charging, it is indeed charging wirelessly. Now, I will say that I have noticed with the 12 Pro, because they did the MagSafe Qi charging
4:47
they seem to have made the wireless charging target a little smaller on the phone
4:52
So, some of my chargers have a hard time finding that right spot
4:57
and I end up finding that I have to really center my phone perfectly
5:01
And with some chargers, I've found that I actually end up doing it sideways, and that works better
5:06
So, that's something I've heard from other people too, that the sort of suspicion is
5:11
well, Apple wants us to buy MagSafe chargers. I'd like to think that's not the case, but who knows
5:17
Okay, so this was $39.95. You can get it at OtterBox.com. The OtterBox Symmetry Graphics case is a little more spendy at $49.95, also at OtterBox.com
5:31
Now, with OtterBox out of the way, let's look at Spec. And I am sure that I put cases on and take cases off a lot more than regular folk do
5:42
So, someday I'm expecting that my entire phone is just going to crack
5:47
So far, it hasn't happened. So, next up is Spec, and they have been making cases forever too
5:54
And this is one of my favorites. This is the Spec Presidio Grip
5:59
And the grip refers to these sort of ridges on here that are a very distinctive design of Spec's
6:05
And this one is a little tricky to put on, I noticed
6:11
Let's see. There we go. Got it. And it is also a really solid design
6:16
This one, they use microban antimicrobials. So, antimicrobial is the big thing, and you can guess why, right
6:23
So, this one's done a 13-foot drop test, according to Spec. I have not tested a 13-foot drop test
6:29
I am not planning on dropping it out of a second-story window, but that's a pretty long way to fall
6:34
Now, this is clear, and I should mention, as they say on the box, it has a clear guarantee
6:42
Because it turns out that clear cases are really hard to have stay clear
6:48
As they sit in the sun, they start to yellow. So, there's a lot of cases that were formerly clear and now are kind of yellowy, and it's not very attractive
6:57
So, Spec has put a lot of time into trying to figure out what mix of materials will let their clear case stay clear
7:04
And this has a guarantee. That's how good they think it is. So, I haven't used one of their cases for years on end, but I imagine, since they are a solid company, that they have a solid solution
7:15
Now, let's see. So, first off, you can see, because it's clear, you can see the blue on the back of my phone
7:22
It's a really nice color, this blue. Nicely done, Apple. And in terms of the bezel, it is slightly less bezel, but it's still more than enough to make sure my phone doesn't take any of the impact
7:35
The cutouts are, on the mute button, equally asymmetric. And on the bottom, they're just dandy. They're fine
7:44
And so then, the only other test is, you guessed it, wireless charging
7:48
And this also does wireless charging. Now, the fact is, is that all of these cases are wireless charging friendly, but I like to demonstrate that
7:56
because it would be super annoying to buy a case and then find out that you have to use the plug to charge your phone
8:03
even though the phone supports wireless charging. So, alright, as I take this off, I can tell you that the Spec Presidio Grip Transparent is $44.95 at SpecProducts.com
8:15
We have one more from Spec, and this is also a really nice one
8:21
And I have sort of a blue-purple theme going on with these cases
8:25
This one is the Spec Presidio 2 Pro. Let's see if I can get it on the phone
8:32
Oh, that was easy. Alright, great. So, this is the Spec Presidio 2 Pro
8:37
And you ready for the colors? It's in coastal blue and black and storm blue
8:42
All three of those colors are represented somewhere on this case. Fancy, right
8:48
The corners have extra impact because of the soft inner part. And it is also microban antimicrobial
8:56
It also survives, I think, a 13-foot drop test. Let's see what it says
9:01
Yep, 13-foot drop protection. So, again, if this falls off your car or something, you're good to go
9:07
And it has that nice bezel, so even if it falls flat, then you're going to be fine
9:12
Unless it's an uneven surface, and then, of course, there's a chance that the screen itself could take some impact
9:18
But I really like this. The one thing I will say is that you can end up having it look a little fingerprinty, depending on how oily your fingers are
9:27
I have oily fingers. It's a whole other conversation about what that does with my keyboards
9:32
But I will tell you, when I use a case like this, I do occasionally find that I have to wipe it clean so that it looks nice
9:39
That's not really a specs problem. That's my problem. But it's worth mentioning
9:44
So, this one was $44.95. This one is also $44.95. Now, what I would actually choose, if I could actually meld the two, and you can, is I would get the solid color with grips
10:00
I think that's a solid option, and I've had their blue Presidio case with grips, and it's a very nice case
10:07
Not that there's anything wrong with this, and this is also a nice, thin, slim case
10:12
So, definitely good to know. Again, at SpecProducts.com. All right. We're halfway
10:19
So, now, we're going to switch to some other ones. Let me move these back over here
10:24
We're going to start with LifeProof. Now, LifeProof is actually part of OtterBox, but this case is really cool
10:32
So, I'm going to give them special credit and do another case because this is the LifeProof Wake, and it is made of 85% recycled ocean plastics
10:44
And I really like that environmental commitment on their part, and it is a much slimmer case
10:52
It is so slim a case that it has a bezel, but the entire bottom is cut out
10:58
So, some people do not like that design. That's up to you
11:03
The cutout for everything otherwise is perfectly centered and designed. That bezel is enough that it takes the impact, and it does have that nice wavy texture on the back, and it's 6-foot drop-tested
11:19
This is a color called Sea Urchin. It's, I don't know, I consider it just a light purple
11:25
And will it wirelessly charge? Yes, it wirelessly charges. Now, what happens is, as I get all these cases, there are some that I'm like, ooh, let me put that on my phone and give it a couple of days
11:37
So, this was one of the first cases that I was really just had on my phone for a week or two, and I really like it
11:45
And part of it is I just like that green aspect of it being made out of recycled ocean plastic
11:51
And, you know, we got to kind of look at our environment, so that's important
11:56
And by the way, their packaging is 100% recyclable, too. Next up, the Catalyst Influence
12:03
And this is another clear case. This is more translucent than transparent
12:09
But one of the things that Catalyst has that's kind of fun is they have what they call their rotating mute switch
12:17
So, assuming I can get my phone to fit into this at all. Here we go
12:21
There's most of it. Look at the top. Okay. So, now, on the side, you lose that asymmetric mute cutout because now you have something that you turn
12:35
It's sort of a different idea. It's not entirely sure I like it, but I don't tend to change that setting very often anyway
12:44
So, that's something that you might get used to or you might not like very much
12:48
The cutout, as you can see here, is actually pretty interesting because what they've done is instead of having the audio
12:56
the little tiny speakers, just point out the bottom, they redirect them forward
13:01
So, there's tiny holes on the front of the case. And from a sort of usability perspective, that means that your audio is actually going towards you when you're looking at your phone
13:12
That's a pretty smart design. That bezel, very nice. The overall look is very subdued
13:20
It is a translucent white, not really a transparent. And it has been 15-foot drop tested
13:26
I don't know why they can't just all agree. Let's just make it 10 feet and that's just the number we're going to use, but they don't
13:33
It does wireless Qi charging. And one other interesting thing is that in the very top here, if I pull it out, I don't use this, but you might
13:44
It comes with a little lanyard. So, if you're so inclined, you can actually attach the lanyard to your phone case and then have that around your hand or something
13:54
That'd be really good if you do selfies in environments where losing or dropping your phone would be a disaster
14:00
But stay safe, be careful. Okay, so Catalyst Influence, $39.99 at CatalystLifestyle.com
14:10
So, all of these are kind of the same price. I think I mentioned this is $39.99 at LifeProof.com
14:17
So, they're all in that like, you know, $40 to $50 price range
14:22
So, these last couple, well, one of them is going to be the same price
14:26
And then finally, we're going to end with one of the most cheery cases and also one of the least expensive cases
14:32
And if this looks like a tiny bit of a struggle to get these out of their cases, you're exactly right
14:39
It is a struggle. All right, two left. So, this one is the Gear 4 Crystal Palace
14:47
And this one's really fun. I hope you can see it's iridescent. So, once you put it on, there's all sorts of fun colors as you get reflections on it
14:55
This has also been 13-foot drop tested. And this has RepelFlex Antimicrobial
15:02
So, really, almost all of these are antimicrobial so far. This one's also made out of recycled plastic, though I dug around and I couldn't figure out what percentage of it was recycled plastic
15:14
But any at all is a whole lot better than none, right? So, let's see
15:20
All right, that looks like it's on properly. So, hmm. I don't think it is
15:26
I don't think that corner's on right. Let's try that again. That's better. Okay
15:35
So, now, this is the Gear 4 Crystal Palace. 13-foot drop tested, antimicrobial, recycled plastic in color, iridescent
15:47
And its cutouts are just perfect. You actually have, interestingly enough, they've played a little game with their design so that they have a symmetric cutout for the mute button
16:01
even though they have an asymmetric space that the cutout is sort of leading into
16:06
So, that's a pretty savvy design on their part. And the bezel, again, is just dandy
16:12
It's just the right size. Wireless charging is, you know, it's up here now
16:17
But, yep, we're wirelessly charging. My phone is like, I'm on, I'm off, I'm on, I'm off, I'm on, I'm off
16:22
So, my phone's probably getting a little frustrated with all this wireless charging action
16:27
Whatever, right? So, Gear 4 Crystal Palace, $39.99 at zag.com. So, if you go to zag.com, they actually own a bunch of brands
16:37
So, there's a lot of different cases you can check out by just going to their site
16:42
Which brings us to our last entrant in our iPhone 12 Pro case choices
16:50
And this is from Casely. And what Casely does is they have these awesome designs
16:56
I love their designs. And this is just another great sort of retro hippie flower design
17:02
This is the Casely Bright Retro Floral Case. It is 8-foot drop tested
17:08
It is a dual-layer case. This part's hard. And then this part is soft rubber
17:13
I will put my phone into this case. He says optimistically. There we go
17:23
That looks good. And this has a little bit more bezel than most of them
17:28
But I like it actually. I like their cases a lot. Plenty enough of protection
17:35
The cutouts look just fine. And in fact, they've just sort of left it up to you to figure out
17:41
They have a symmetric cutout for the mute button. And you're on your own trying to make it work
17:46
On the bottom, they've done the right thing. Because the speakers are not symmetric either on the bottom
17:52
So, wireless charging. And it does wireless charging too. Notice I had to, wanted to center it
18:01
I can't quite resist that urge. So, Casely has hundreds of designs
18:07
If you don't like this graphic, they have plenty of other choices. And this one is delightfully $25
18:15
Minus 25% right now on the promo. If you go and check them out
18:20
I don't know if it will stay that way. But this is by far the least expensive
18:24
In fact, this is so much less expensive. You could buy two of these cases for the price of one of these other cases
18:30
So, depending on what you like. You could have a daytime serious business case
18:36
And an evening fun silly case. Right? So, so many choices. So many companies doing really great cases for the iPhone 12 line
18:46
All seeming to manage with the MagSafe stuff going on too. Which is great
18:52
So, let me give you my final choice of the case that I like the most
18:56
But before I get there, I'm going to ask if you can subscribe to my channel
19:00
That little red button on the lower right. A click or a tap and boom
19:04
You're subscribed and I really appreciate that. Alright. We have looked at a lot of iPhone cases
19:11
So, which ones do I like? Well, I mean I kind of like all of them
19:16
So, from an environmental perspective. This 85% recycled ocean plastics from LifeProof is really cool
19:25
It is a fairly minimal case. So, that might be something you do or don't like
19:31
And the case for, you know, having maximum protection is this OtterBox Commuter
19:38
It is the most heavy duty of all these cases. But it feels like to me, it's going to give me the most protection if I'm worried about it
19:47
However, I am actually a sucker for good design and good graphics and visuals
19:54
So, I'm going to actually pick the Casely Bright Retro Floral Case as my favorite from all of these
20:00
And that's the one that's going to stay on my phone. So, with all of that said, I'm going to let it charge
20:06
Finally, it can stay in charge. And I really hope this has been informative for you
20:11
And if you do have an iPhone 12, go get a case for it
20:15
And now you know all these choices. Alright, great. Okay, so, with all of that said, I will hope to catch you in my next video
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