This iPhone 5 flip case offering from Noreve 'Saint-Tropez' is priced at £36.99-£39.99, undercutting many cases similar in style. But does that make it worth your money?
Initial presentation is impressive. The case is found in a large high quality red bag, within the sleek two part retail box. Once the case is removed it's instantly apparent that the design isn't as noteworthy compared to many entries within the market. It's not an awful design but doesn't draw the eye and is possibly too plain. The exterior hosts no lines of stitching or exterior textures. In fact the real leather is wrapped around the front and back pieces, and only a joint of stitched leather bridges them. Four block colours are available on Amazon.co.uk, black, white, pink and blue. Construction is more positive, the front has a layer of cardboard covered in real leather. The rear piece has a plastic shell coated in leather. But the layers don't add up and preserve a thin and relatively light case.
The iPhone 5 snaps into the case with ease. The interior is lined with a grippy textured material. It performs a good job at preventing exterior damage coming to the iPhone 5. Dirt is buried into the material and therefor reduces pressure against the iPhone's body. All buttons and ports are cut out wide for access. The lighting connector is completely free, so future accessories will be painless to hook up.
So what's it like to use? The Noreve Leather Flip Case has been my main iPhone 5 case for the past two weeks. In terms of wear and tear, I've nothing to complain about. But I found myself feeling greater frustration with the flip front piece the longer I used the case. Having to flip it back and fourth every single time I wanted to access the screen was time consuming, thus getting in the way. I know it protects the screen and I appreciate that, but accessibility is definitely hindered from the style. Having said that holding and using my iPhone within the Flip Case wasn't too bad. The front piece rests flat against the rear when in use, so the mechanism is not very noticeable.
Because a plastic shell coated leather is the main body of the case, a stepper amount of protection is provided compared to a basic plastic shell. The major advantage of flip cases is that the entire device is covered, including the screen. This does a good job at that and the front always stays firmly in place with general movement.
The Noreve Tradition A Leather Flip Case for the iPhone 5 is a well made case and allows full access to the iPhones features. The flip style definitely isn't for everyone and suits those who are anxious of having full protection.
