Twelve South

The Only Case I Would Consider Using With an iPhone

No, you don't need a damn case for your iPhone 5—but if you have butterfingers and you must use a case, this seems to me like the only acceptable one. The SurfacePad is not only simple and elegant—complementing the iPhone's design rather than turning it into an ugly hulk or a clear-plastic-wrapped granny sofa—but also has function. And it protects your screen too, unlike 99 percent of the offensively horrible covers out there.

Made of ultra-thin and smooth napa leather, the TwelveSouth's SurfacePad can also serve as a stand. Like the manufacturer says, it's not designed to resist a car getting over your iPhone, but it will protect your mobile against the most common threats without turning its clean lines into a unrecognizable mass of deformed plastic. And for that alone, I applaud them.

It's $35 and available for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S.

Twelve South's SurfacePad for iPhone: sleek, slim and sleather

Yeah, sleather's not a word, but I'm going to use it anyway because I love alliteration. Twelve South, that wonderful company that has brought a gaggle of gorgeous Apple-only products to life, has just announced the SurfacePad for iPhone (US$34.99). Here's a quick review of this latest addition to the Twelve South family.

Design
I refused to put a case of any sort onto my iPhone 5 for one very personal reason; I love the sleek look of the phone. But, as expected, I got a little scratch on the anodized black aluminum as a result of my stubborn refusal to put the device into a case.

At a meeting with Twelve South founders Andrew and Leigh-Ann Green last night, the company unveiled the SurfacePad for iPhone. The case immediately attracted my attention -- it's thin and it's genuine leather. The leather makes each case literally one of a kind, with a unique feel and look that improves with age. The company built upon experience from the SurfacePad leather cover for MacBook, creating a durable and thin cover that wraps your iPhone 4/4S or 5 in black, white or red leather.

Rather than making the case thick by adding a plastic or wood cradle, Twelve South simply attaches the leather back to the iPhone with a removable adhesive pad. It's very easy to take off and replace later, so if you wish to protect your iPhone with something like an OtterBox Defender while hiking and then switch back to the SurfacePad for dinner at a nice restaurant, you can.

There are nice little touches; half of the adhesive backing is securely fastened to the leather, the other half isn't. That means that you can use the SurfacePad like a miniature Smart Cover to prop up your iPhone for watching video.

On the "spine" of the case there are two small embossed buttons so you don't need to open the SurfacePad to adjust the volume of your iPhone. It's a nice detail that fellow TUAWer Megan Lavey-Heaton pointed out to me, and another example of the fine design work done by Twelve South.

If you've been waiting for a classy protective iPhone case that doesn't add bulk to your device, your ship has come in. The SurfacePad for iPhone delivers a luxury feel and has great looks that compliment the sleek design of your device.