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Review: Griffin Reveal And Protector For The iPhone 5
We have something new for you all today…well…maybe not, but we do have some cases we haven’t reviewed before 
The iPhone 5, oh that crafty mistress that gets scratch after scratch, even straight out of the packaging. As much as we want to keep her naked, we know that if we want a device we can sell in 12 months to upgrade, we’ll have to keep her un-scathed. In my years of iPhone patronage, I honestly don’t think I have ever come across a Griffin case wrapped around any of the devices, so when I was sent a couple as my iPhone 5 was arriving, I was extremely excited to give them a try. I was sent two completely different styles of cases, so both sides of the reader base would be able to hopefully find their next greatest case.
Protector
You all know by now I hate bulky ‘tough’ cases. They are too much for my device and just feel like a brick in my hand. But I do know there are so many of you out there that use them, so I attempt to keep an honest eye when testing them out, instead of a biased opinion shatting all over them.
The Protector looks like a rough-and-tumble case, even sitting in the packaging. The packaging screams outdoors, and everything about it just says it’s for the every day worker bee. Straight off the bat you can tell that it is a heavy-duty case without really looking like a heavy-duty case. It offers full coverage of the entire iPhone, but isn’t as thick and bulky as some offerings from Otterbox, or even the Survivor case from Griffin. So you’ll know you’ll have protection without really feeling like the brick I mentioned earlier.
It’s made out very smooth-yet-thick reinforced silicone that wraps around the entire iPhone. So you’ll get protection along the back, sides and the bezel from any drops and shocks. The case feels great in hand. The smooth finish offers some grip protection and just enough bulk that it isn’t uncomfortable while holding. All of your buttons are protected when in this case, but they all have easy access, except for the volume buttons, I found it somewhat difficult to press these at times. I’ve been testing a lot of cases lately that have given me a hell of a time to toggle the Mute button as well as try and press the Sleep/Wake button, I didn’t have either of those issues with the Protector.
Because this is a lay-on-the-table safe case, it hugs past the bezel and somewhat onto the screen. This was a big turn off for me, as I felt I was limited in the real-estate of the gorgeous iPhone 5 display. Another issue I had that made me think twice about offering this case was the amount of time it took to install. As you can see, this covers the entire face of the iPhone except for the screen, which makes it somewhat difficult to squeeze inside. You really have to stretch the case around the iPhone, making it somewhat of a nuisance when trying to put it on. The worst part about this is when you get your iPhone out of the case, you’ll have these little square imprints on the back of the iPhone, as you can see from the picture in the Gallery. This isn’t a huge issue, but it’s just ugly when you take it out, and they are somewhat of a pain to scrub off.
All-in-all, the Protector for the iPhone 5 is a good case. It feels great in your hand, it’s just bulky enough where you know you are receiving adequte protection without having the World’s largest case on the phone. You will lose some swiping movements because of how much it wraps on the phone, and you’ll have some issues getting the iPhone in and out of the case, but for $19.99, and the option of 7 stylish colors, it’s worth checking out. You are going to get some great protection with this case on your phone, and you won’t really have to worry about anything hurting it.
More: Protector
Reveal
This was one of the first cases I have used for the iPhone 5 that I really liked. It was more down my alley in what I look for to protect my device. The Apple Bumper was the best case I ever used on my iPhone 4 and 4S, so given the chance to have somewhat of a similar case on my iPhone 5 was something I was excited to try out.
The Reveal is a bumper-style case that also is graced with a plastic clear panel to protect the back from scuffs and scratches. The bumper part of the case is made out of rubber that feels great in your hand. The Reveal hugs your iPhone and keeps it safe without hiding any of that beautiful design. It’s a slim case that is the perfect size for the thin iPhone 5.
You have your normal Sleep/Wake button cover, as well as a cut-out for the camera and Mute toggle. The volume buttons are covered in this case, and at the bottom you have your cut-outs for the speakers and Lightning port. Other than that, this case is pretty sleek and straight forward. No bulk is added, and the silicone bumper adds just the right amount of grip in your hand.
I only had one issue with this, and unfortunately it is a big one; the clear back panel. I have the black version iPhone 5, so any little piece of dust or debris really stands out next to it, and this back panel is a cesspool for dust and debris. Any little piece of crud gets in there and it just sits and looks horrible when show against the iPhone. The other piece to this that is just as bad is when this somewhat cheap feeling back plastic gets a scratch on it, that really shows against the black iPhone. And once that happens, there really isn’t anything you can do, you’ll just have to deal with little scratches that really dull down the sexiness of the iPhone.
The Reveal is still one of the nicer cases I’ve used though. It feels great in my hand, offers the scratch protection I’m wanting and still really lets the iPhone 5 be the hero. It does it’s job, barely there, and keeps my nerves at bay.
If you can deal with the back of the iPhone getting debris trapped next to it, and having to clean it often, you’ll be able to get past that issue. If you don’t mind little scratches making you gasp because you think you scratched the bollocks out of your device, again, you’ll get past it. With 8 different colors to choose from, and a $19.99 price tag, this case comes highly recommended. If you want minimal protection and amazing attraction, you should give the Reveal a look.
More: Reveal
Thanks to Max Borges Agency and Griffin for the review samples!
Gallery
2012-11-09 04:00:19
Source: http://gadgetsteria.com/2012/11/09/review-griffin-reveal-and-protector-for-the-iphone-5/
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