The Case-Mate Signature Series Perforated Leather Case for iPhone ($34.95) is a subtlety styled, high quality leather case that offers nearly full protection for your iPhone. It provides easy access to all buttons and ports on the iPhone and is a breeze to slide in. How does the Case-Mate Case perform?

Read on for the rest of the review!

What Comes In The Box & Application Process

-Perforated Leather Case
-Screen Cleaning Cloth
-Film Screen Protector

The application process is ridiculously simple. It is just a matter of sliding the iPhone into the case. There are no latches to click or any added steps. The case provides a very snug fit for the iPhone. To remove the case from the iPhone there needs to be a certain amount of pressure applied. They also include a film screen protector that offers protection for the iPhone’s screen.

Design & Construction

The inner skeleton of the case is an impact resistant shell that is molded for the iPhone. The soft and supple leather (smells great, might I add) wraps around this shell to provide a great and luxurious feel. The case covers most of your iPhone except the iPhone’s camera corner, which is left exposed.

The inside of the case also has a soft inner lining that provides a good bed/safety net for your iPhone. Whereas some cases manage to scratch the iPhone, there are no concerns with the Case-mate because of the usage of quality materials.

The perforated holes add depth and feel to the leather and is a design choice that I personally like very much. The perforated design manages to combine the quality and functionality of leather with a fashion forward look. There is a subtle red hue to the perforated holes, which I think enhances the overall design.

A gripe I have about the design is that on the front face, the top of the case is very, very close to the iPhone’s ear speaker. Mere millimeters separate the two, so if your ear wasn’t aligned with the ear speaker, you wouldn’t hear a thing. Though I had to go out of my way to position my ear under the top of the case, it still is a design cue that should be improved.

Usability

The case adds a considerable amount of thickness to your iPhone. Whereas I rarely notice the iPhone in my pockets, with the case on I certainly felt every contour of it. The case also adds to the width of the iPhone because the side edges are very thick (it is at this point where the front face and back face are sewn together) and it takes a little bit of getting used to. I would imagine that because of its thickness Case-mate would have provided a belt clip for this case but it is not offered.

At first, the edges of the Case-mate make it a bit hard to hit the buttons on the edge of the iPhone’s keyboard like ‘Q’ and ‘P’, but after a few mistakes, I quickly learned to adapt. A personal tidbit is that I think the case actually makes the iPhone’s screen feel better. Because of the added thickness, I’m using less of my entire finger and more of my fingertips. What results is a much more smoother tactile feel.

One of my initial worries about the case was wondering if my iPhone would slip out. Because of the top of the case being entirely open I figured it could be possible to fall out. However, after daily use and scientific testing (flipping my iPhone+casemate over and shaking it to try to loosen it) I’ve had absolutely no issues with the iPhone slipping out of the case. The folks over at Case-Mate did a really good job in creating a highly functional, great quality, and easy to apply case.

Final Thoughts

If a user is not worried about added thickness, I think the Case-Mate is as good as any leather case on the market right now. With leather cases, added thickness is to be expected, so I can’t imagine it to be a deal-breaker.

There are a few design quips that I don’t agree with. Like the camera corner being exposed and the top, front-face so close to the iPhone’s earphone, but on the whole the Case-Mate is made from very high quality materials and feels great in your hands.

I would recommend this case to anyone looking for a leather case that offers great support, easy installation, and luxurious feel. This should be considered a BUY for iPhone users.

Pros