Accessories

The Apple iPhone 12 mini Silicone Case with MagSafe – Capri Blue

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Capri Blue is my favorite color from the current Spring 2021 release of Apple accessories, and I could not help myself from buying one of the silicon cases for my iPhone 12 mini.

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Here it is. This is how the blue looks indoors. For photos of how Capri Blue looks like brighter (Apple Store level) lighting, check out my previous post.

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Here is a comparison of the Capri Blue Silicon Case with the Dark Navy Silicon Case I am currently using on my iPhone 12 mini.

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And here it is installed on my iPhone 12 mini, charging on the MagSafe puck.

First Look at the Purple iPhone 12 and the Spring 2021 Apple Accessories

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The shade of purple on the new Purple iPhone 12 is just such a fantastic color. In the whole iPhone 12 and 12 Pro lineup there is no other color that comes close to it. As mentioned in a previous post, if Apple had released this color on launch day I would not have picked blue for my iPhone 12 mini. The blue for the 12 mini is decent, but it is way too dark for my liking. I prefer something brighter or visually more striking than a dark shade of blue for my main iPhone. As far as blue on iPhones go nothing has beaten the blue on the iPhone XR even today.

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But Apple also just released what was probably the best shade of blue for its accessories since they started making accessories seriously half a decade ago.

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Capri Blue, which is probably best described as a more saturated version of Surf Blue, is my favorite shade of blue that Apple has released so far. It joins Amethyst as the most popular colors for official accessories this season.

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Unlike Amethyst, however, Capri Blue is available on the Apple Watch Sport Band as well, so it is a double whammy of accessories to buy for blue lovers this time around.

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Amethyst, along with its leather variant Dark Violet, was released to compliment the Purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini, and looks superb, probably only the second best purple Apple has ever released for accessories, after Ultra Violet a few years ago. Dark Violet, on the other hand, is disappointing. Purple dye on leather is probably way too hard to do correctly.

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I also managed to take a look at the various official AirTag accessories, including the Hermès ones. I have to say, they do not feel any different in quality from the Apple leather accessories, and unless you really want Hermès, the official Apple ones will feel as premium.

Listen to my discussion of the latest Apple accessories on my brand new podcast, the MacRyu Podcast, available on the following platforms.

A Blast from the Past – Apple Smart Case for iPad Air (Blue) [MF050ZM/A]

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One upon a time, Apple made accessories for its iPhone and iPad lines, as a small sideline to complement device sales. As such, most of the earlier offerings were limited to smaller ranges of color choices, unlike the big range of offerings every season of today’s Apple.

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The leather covers always feel much better than the silicon ones
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This leather back is something you won’t find on Apple’s iPad accessories anymore

Since the iPad 2, the iPad had always have the Smart Cover accessory, a magnetic display cover that triggers the sleep wake function every time you undo the flap. When the iPad Air (and iPad Mini) was released, Apple introduced an all-in-one solution for the iPad – the iPad Smart Case. It covers the display as well as protect the body of the iPad, and is made of leather. People either loved the iPad Smart Case, hated its high price and weakness against the elements (since it is leather).

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The microfibre lined inside
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The insides of both the cover and the body are color matched

With the introduction of the iPad Pro, Apple stopped making all-in-one iPad protection. It replaced the Smart Case with the “Silicon Case”, which was really just a silicon back cover intended to be used with a separate Smart Cover. This increased the cost of total protection from 119 SGD for the iPad Smart Case to 99 SGD for the Silicon Case, and an additional 75 SGD for the Smart Case. Furthermore, despite paying over 50 SGD more, the Smart Cover+Silicon Case combination is made from silicon instead of premium leather, and is a lot heavier than the Smart Case.

The Silicon Case did not find any lovers, as most iPad owners opt to buy third party back covers that are more rigid and cost way less. Apple eventually discontinued the Silicon Case as well.

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The antenna area
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“iPad Smart Case”

The iPad Smart Case I have here is for the original iPad Air (the very one I bought on its launch day when iStudio tried to scam Apple fans who queued up through the night by forcing bundles on them if they want the iPads). It is officially in “Blue”, though the actual shade of blue is closer to today’s Northern Blue than Blue Gen 1 and Blue Gen 2 (from the Apple Watch bands). Unfortunately I had to discard the packaging as it was dirty (it lived in a warehouse for half a decade or more), and forgot to take photos of it. Nevertheless the Smart Case is spotlessly clean.

The iPad Air meant to go inside this case is still housed within a ESR case, and in the possession of my parents. I will retrieve it someday.

The Official Apple iPhone 12 mini Silicone Case with MagSafe Review

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Apple has been making first party iPhone cases for several years by now, but I have largely steered clear of buying them due to their higher prices and lack of full coverage of the body (iPhone 6 to 11 cases). They offer less than ideal protection, does not show off the beauty of the iPhone body, and cost 2 to 5 times the prices of the most popular iPhone cases on the market. To me the official Apple cases were a no go.

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Full Protection

With the introduction of the iPhone 12, and the return to a iPhone 5-like form factor, the Apple official cases now cover the phone bodies completely. On top of that, they officially support MagSafe, enhancing the strength of the hold of the MagSafe Charger to the phone. The Apple cases also now show an interesting animation on the display when they are put on the iPhones, with their colours reflected in the animation, The iPhone 12 Apple cases are therefore quite a bit better than their predecessors. However, they also carry a higher price tag.

I managed to purchase an official Apple Silicon Case for the iPhone 12 mini in Dark Navy at a price lower than the MSRP. After using it for more than a month, I have some thoughts.

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Liquid Silicone

The official Apple Silicone cases are made of a material called liquid silicone, which gives it a very rubbery feel, increasing the grip when you hold the phone in your hand, but also picks up lint every time the phone is in your pocket. They are quite a bit different from most of the other cases in the market, which typically use TPU, Polycarbonate, or a combination of both. There is also a microfibre lining on the inside, presumably to keep the back of your iPhone clean when it is inside the case.

More problems than solutions?

I find the rubbery surface both extremely helpful in maintaining my grip, but also extremely uncomfortable to touch. The microfibre lining may also trap dust and make it harder to clean, causing scratches over time as the trapped dust rubs against the back of the phone. It is

First Party MagSafe

I like the hold of the magnets to the MagSafe charger, as it is way stronger than when I was using the iPhone 12 mini with the Spigen Ultra Hybrid (TPU sides with Polycarbonate back). The Apple MagSafe Wallet will likely be more secured with the MagSafe case than with a random third party case. The stronger hold also means that it will work with chargers that are meant to hold the iPhone suspended in mid air by MagSafe, like the Belkin 3-in-1 wireless charger with MagSafe.

Conclusion

Will I buy another one? Yes, if I can get it at a discounted price, definitely. Will I recommend it for everyone? It really depends. For most people the MagSafe ecosystem is not a necessity, and diving into it requires a bunch of spare cash. Third party cases with MagSafe-like magnets built in can be a cheaper alternative, but the quality control on those are suspect, as online reviews have shown that more than a few have less than ideal magnet strength. The iPhone 12 works with normal Qi chargers, and MagSafe is ultimately a nice to have, at least until the time when Apple removes the Lightning port from the iPhones.

iPhonedo tests the Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe

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iPhonedo tests the Apple-approved Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe on LA’s bumpy roads. From the video it seems like the initial worries about MagSafe’s magnets being too weak to hold the phone to the mount during a bumpy car ride are overblown. The level of bumpiness on LA roads seem to equal that of Johor, and if it can survive Johor roads, it definitely can survive Singapore roads.

The Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe costs 59 Singapore dollars and you can buy it from the Apple Online Store.

Apple’s Accessories Lineup Autumn 2017

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Ever since a few years ago, Apple has been putting massive efforts into their accessories, realizing that accessories are a massive cash cow.
While their iPhone/iPad cases/covers might not offer the best protection, they are definitely some of the most well-made products on the market.

While the iPhone X stole the thunder of the September event, there is also a lot of excitement from Apple Watch owners, especially those who collect Apple’s own first-party watch bands, for this season’s watch band line up look to one of the more interesting ones in recent memory.

I paid a visit to Apple Orchard last week, hoping to check out the Ultra Violet accessories in person and my, they did not disappoint. Apple’s accessories have had a tendency to be offered in muted or less exciting colors, but Ultra Violet was like, “WOW”.

The Apple Silicon cases for the iPhone 7/8 Plus were especially tempting as they offer a lot of Ultra Violet “WOW”ness for less money than the Apple Watch bands ($58 vs $78).

One thing I did not expect was how nice Blue Cobalt actually looked. The color did not look interesting at all on Apple’s site, but in person (and the right lighting) it definitely looks like one of the best blues Apple’s ever offered for their accessories.

Besides the Sports bands, Apple also introduced the Sports Loop into the Apple Watch band lineup. For old timers who remember the very first Casio Baby Gs decades ago, these offered probably the same style/feel. And while they are definitely not as bright or striking like some of the Sport Band colors, they are really comfortable.

The question ultimately is, how many watch bands does one need?

I also managed to check out the two new colors that the Beats X is now offered in (muted silver and muted gold), and while they looked interesting, I have to say I much preferred my blue pair. The old four colors which are now discontinued are being heavily discounted on Amazon and other online outlets from time to time, so it will be a great time to snatch a pair if you do not have one yet!

White Marble Snap Case for iPhone 6s+ (made by fabrix)

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White Marble Case. Made by fabrix.

A photo posted by Ren Jinshen Ryu (@ryuworks) on

made by fabrix sent me one of their White Marble Snap Cases to try out, and like many of their other products, the Marble Snap Case for iPhone 6s+ (their naming) is a sleek, well-made snap-on plastic case with a white marble (there is also a black marble version available) look.

It doesn’t increase the heft of the iPhone 6s Plus by too much (unlike Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid, which I cannot really recommend) making the phablet 6s Plus still feel comfortable while holding it in one hand.

The White and Black Marble Snap Case is retailing for 22 USD at madebyfabrix.com.