I personally own quite some number of iPhone case since my first iPhone 4 came into my hand until now with iPhone 5. Like many power users, I focus on the quality of material that it is made of, functionality and durability of the case i...
I personally own quite some number of iPhone case since my first iPhone 4 came into my hand until now with iPhone 5. Like many power users, I focus on the quality of material that it is made of, functionality and durability of the case in which the design really comes last for my consideration. And I may be carrying more than one when I go out for a day, as well as depending on the weather condition, where I am going to and what I am going to do.
Say for instance, I used Incipio Frequency for my iPhone 5 when I go out for photography all day long just in case may be careless is hitting or dropping my phone on bricks and rocks. I am also accompanied by a Mophie case to refill the juice of my phone in order to stay up at evening time.
However, summer is coming and a full cover of a phone could make it super warm when it stays in your pocket, or during gaming in your hands. It is somehow frustrating while other ultra thin cases could not offer same level of protection as my Incipio does. Until the day when I received this AL13 bumper I could replace all my non-lithium powered iPhone cases.
The story behind
It is a product that comes out from and funded by a Kickstarter project. The primary reason is pretty straightforward according to the designer:
We stumbled upon the idea at a trade show. We’d been searching for the perfect iPhone bumper for a while but never found one that could do what we wanted ? protect the phone, but be virtually invisible…was slim, attractive and made with extreme attention to detail. It was also ridiculously expensive…The next day we looked at each other and said, “Let’s just make our own…even more impressive and make it affordable”
I really appreciate such a clear objective to make things happen. It is indeed crucial for every Kickstart project to let potential customers and backers to understand what they will get in return of financial support, and how much value could be delivered. It is also impressive to me that, based on the output of product quality, they should have put much effort in getting the best in a supply chain context – from design, material sourcing, production, quality control and packaging.
The unboxing
The AL13 Bumper comes with a well-designed black metal and a covering sheet with its logo clearly printed on it. Upon sliding over the metal cover of the box, you will find the screen and back-cover protector package with the bumper underneath.
Design, features and usability
The designer has already highlighted what the bumper is about in one sentence that I could not agree more after trying it:
AL13 is a slim, lightweight bumper made from aerospace aluminum that offers protection without changing the look of your iPhone.
And there are some of the features and specifications of the AL13 in a nutshell:
- Made from Aerospace Aluminum: thin, strong and light in weight of less than 16 grams
- Anti-scuff Rubber lining attached as inside part of the bumper for shock resistance and avoid dis-positioning.
- Sleek Chamfered Edges that blend with iPhone 5
- A few millimeter thickness that raises the phone from surface contact
- Anti-scratch, anti-fingerprint and anti-glare PET screen protector
The installation of the AL13 bumper is very simple: first, lift up a bit the back piece at the bottom part of it and slice it out from the tray; then orientate your phone according to the opening of the iPhone buttons, face it down and carefully slide it into the case (you will feel the resistance by the interior rubber); slide back the back piece and click to lock the bumper.
How I feel about it
The very first impression to me comes from the packaging. It is so well designed and packed. The color theme compromises with the case I received. It gives me a feeling of unity – the box, the screen protector pack and even the plastic form where the bumper laid on.
The second thing is about the product design and the quality of it. The bumper is well
%20T via Mattters)
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