When I first bought my iPhone, I was so enraptured with the beautiful lines and sleek curves of the phone, I couldn’t think of putting it in a plastic, clunky iPhone case. I should have known better. It hadn’t been 6 months since my daughter, 4 years-old at the time, had flung my Palm Pre across the Fantasmic! stadium at Disney World. It had skidded on its face along the concrete down the length of an entire bench of seats, and now had a nice patch of road rash across its screen.
Despite this fact, I ran around with my without an iPhone case for almost 4 months. One day, I was walking out to the bus, and my phone rang. As I took out my phone it slipped from my fingers. My years of playing hacky sack in high school finally paid off. I instinctively lifted my knee. The iPhone bounced off of my thigh, then landed on my shin, and slid down to my toe. Before I realized what was happening, I kicked my iPhone off my foot. Time seemed to slow down as I snatched my iPhone out of the air, right as my bus pulled up. The bus driver pointed out the obvious, “Boy, you sure are lucky that didn’t hit the ground!” I decided then that I had to buy an iPhone case. I bought an Otterbox Defender because it was the only iPhone case I could find that seemed strong enough to protect my iPhone for when my mad hacky sack skills didn’t save the day next time. I had to sacrifice the beauty of the phone for the protection of the phone. None of the iPhone cases on the market were aesthetically appealing and designed to protect the phone.
Why not an iPhone case that is beautiful and rugged?
I recently found a new iPhone case that incorporates beautiful design with protection. I received an AVIVO Style Rail Carbonate iPhone 5 case to review, and I was pleasantly surprised. The AVIVO Style iPhone cases from Design Syncracy are thin and stylish, but also strong and durable. The cases fit the iPhone snugly and securely. You can instantly tell the superior quality of the product, because there doesn’t feel like there is a micrometer to spare or a micrometer too little. The Rail Carbonate iPhone 5 case is also incredibly lightweight, but reinforced in the areas where it needs strength the most with shock absorbing dampers. Instead of covering the iPhone with a bulky case that makes the phone look like a chunk of plastic, it transforms it into an elegant fashion accessory that, according to drop-tests by the company, can withstand corner impacts from 12-14 feet! As an admitted Apple fanboy, I shudder to say it, but it’s the first iPhone case I have ever seen that makes the iPhone look better with a case on than without one.
As manly as a pirate ship
I expected the AVIVO Style Rail Carbonate iPhone case to be too feminine for my liking, but I found that it looked less girly and more luxurious. No, I wouldn’t carry it around a construction site or on a pirate ship, (Yes, apparently that’s the best illustration I could come up with to exemplify masculinity, a pirate ship.) but I would definitely carry it into a boardroom or into a meeting with a client. The Rail Carbonate iPhone cases ($39.99) remind me of a BMW 3 Series; it’s not too showy, but nonetheless very classy. Whereas the Rail Aluminum iPhone cases remind me of the BMW 5 or 7 series; not only will other people compliment you, they will be jealous of you as well.
Like LEGOs, but stylish. Stylish LEGOs.
One of my favorite features is that the AVIVO Style iPhone cases are engineered to be modular. The cases have interchangeable “rails” and frames. The rails, unlike the infamous Apple iPhone Bumpers, are elegant and fit the iPhone 5 perfectly. The Aluminum series has 4 different machined aluminium rails and 2 different frames to choose from. The Carbonate series has 2 different rails and 7 different frames to choose from. On the review unit that I received, the Rail Carbonate Frost White + Motif Jacket and Frame, the rail material somehow blends almost seamlessly into the white glass of the iPhone 5. Also, the ridges on the sides are not just for looks. In addition to providing structural strength, they’re also intended to serve as connections for future accessories like a kickstand, something the iPhone is desperately missing.
Final verdict
My only complaints are really unfair, because they don’t apply to what the AVIVO Style iPhone cases aim to be. I would like to see water and dust protection, which none of their products provide. However, just as you probably wouldn’t drive your BMW sedan to go mudding in the woods, you probably wouldn’t take this iPhone case into a situation that necessitated water and dust protection. If you need a truck, you have to buy a truck. However, if you are trying to find a case that is elegantly and fashionably designed and will protect your iPhone, the AVIVO Style Rail Carbonate and Rail Aluminum iPhone cases are a smart choice.