When I used the iPhone 15 Pro a few years ago, I went without a case most of the time, but I decided to buy a cheap silicone case from Amazon for hiking. This led me to Elagowhat did some of my favorites Apple accessories from different years and this year also improved the quality of its affairs.
As soon as I saw that the kit included a MagSafe ring and camera control adapter, I ordered both models—one in silicone and one in faux leather—to try. Both are good for the price, but the faux leather option feels cheap and the silicone one feels better than expected.
I have yellow, but there are 25 other colors to choose from.
The silicone option usually costs around $15-$20, depending on what color you buy and whether it's on sale or not. As I mentioned above, these include magnets for MagSafe and a capacitive button for camera control, which you don't always see in such cheap cases.
The buttons are made of colored aluminum and have a satisfying click. I actually like this better than Apple's version, which no longer uses metal buttons. The subtle shine of the metal adds a bit of fun to the case. I have the yellow version and the buttons really stand out, but some of the others don't look as bold.
There is a microfiber lining inside the case, and here you can notice that the build quality is not very precise. The edges of the lining aren't as clean as Apple's, but that part is never visible, so I wouldn't bother with the Elgo.
What I don't agree with is the durability of the silicone used between the camera control button. One of my friends bought one of these cases for his iPhone 17 shortly after launch and the case cracked when he took the phone out of it. If you leave your phone in the case all the time, this will be less of an issue, but it's worth noting. I also had similar problems using Apple silicone cases are a thing of the past. However, the Elago is significantly cheaper to replace, so there's something to be said for that.
Overall, this is a very good case for the price. Sure, it has some drawbacks, but it also has all the body features I'm interested in, and I can get it in 26 different colors, which is, in the end, enough for me.
Leather case
This case is a little more expensive: around $25-$30, depending on sales and color. The faux leather is made from a vegan material and has a texture like leather, but the material feels thin so it doesn't sag or squish like real leather.
Apple tries to replicate this compression in its TechWoven (and FineWoven RIP) cases by sewing thicker pad behind the back of the main fabric to give it some thickness so you can feel a slight squeeze under your hand. This is a nice effect and will make a big difference here.
It feels like plastic, so you get what you pay for, but it looks a little classier than silicone and is available in four subdued styles. The buttons are still metal, but they're not as beveled as silicone ones, so while they're smaller, they don't feel as good to the touch. The flip side of this coin is that the sharper edges of the leather case's buttons are more noticeable if you try to press them while they're in your pocket.
Overall, you get all the features of a premium case for less money, but the faux leather is so plasticky that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a good alternative to Apple's old leather cases.
Both cases are good considering they're so cheap, but the silicone one feels like a lot of value and the faux leather case makes me wish I'd spent more on a real leather case or a thicker faux material.
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