With the iPhone 5 being one of the best-selling smartphones, companies are reinventing their cases to suit every type of user out there. That is one of the benefits of owning an iPhone 5, you have a wide array of choices when choosing a case for your phone Back at CES in January, Speck showed me their SmartFlex Card Case for the iPhone 5. I didn’t think much of it at first besides that it felt durable. At the time that was enough for me.
SmartFlex Card Case – Design and Protection
I decided to change things up a bit and get it in green as opposed to my usual pink or black cases. When you see the Speck SmartFlex case, it looks like a regular case. Made of hard rubber polymer material, it feels sturdy and I was confident it would protect my phone from all the chaos in my bag and my clumsiness. I don’t always drop my phone, but when I do it’s at the worst time and the hardest surfaces.
I believe that Speck is known mostly for their candyshell cases. Being that the SmartFlex card case is rubber, it’s a bit less solid. However it still protects my phone since the bezel is slightly raised. If you face the phone down against a flat surface the screen won’t make contact with the surface. The rear facing camera is also protected. The case has outward buttons for the volume up and down buttons, and the power/standby button. It makes it easier to toggle the volume with these sturdy button framing from the SmartFlex case. Besides the screen, the most important part of a phone to protect (for me at least) are the corners. I always pick cases that have a good corner protection.The SmartFlex Card case has that covered without being too bulky and adding too much weight.
The case doesn’t interfere when charging the phone or when connecting headphones. Remember that the iPhone 5 uses the lightning charger, which is a lot smaller than Apple’s previous 30 pin connector. If you’re getting this case for the iPhone 4/4S, you might want to look into that.
Main Feature of Speck’s SmartFlex Card Case
So what differentiates the Speck SmartFlex Card Case? It’s all in the name. The back of the case has a slot that allows you to carry up to three cards, or two cards and some money. For those that know me, know how useful that feature is to me. I am always misplacing my metro card. Looking through my bag for it is never fun. This case has saved me time. There is the main slot to insert the cards, on the bottom there is a tiny slot to help you push the cards up, for easy access.
Of course, this case isn’t for those who often misplace or lose their phone. If you decide to put your driver’s license and a credit card in the SmartFlex Card case and you lose your phone, the loss might be a lot bigger than the value of your phone. IF you’re constantly misplacing and/or losing your phone you don’t want to lose important documents with it. Losing money isn’t fun either. Lucky for me, I know where my phone is 99% of the time.
Is Speck’s SmartFlex Card Case A Good iPhone 5 Accessory?
As I stated earlier, the SmartFlex Card Case was beyond beneficial for me. It offers the necessary protection I look for in cases and provides a place for at least three cards, usually my college ID and a credit card. I like the Malachite Green shade of my case, but it is available in four other colors: black, Graphite Gray, Pomodoro Red and Grape Purple. I like changing cases often, but the SmartFlex Card Case makes cut often. I definitely recommend this case (for those who are responsible with their phone).
You can buy the case for $34.95 on the Speck Products website. They offer free shipping on all US orders and one year warranty.
