In a world where phone cases are quickly running out of steam and the market is demanding more protection with a smaller profile, it’s tough to find the case that doesn’t render your phone a brick. You frequently see a slim iPhone X in the most ungodly of cases from manufacturers like OtterBox and LifeProof. They fail to understand that less is more. But we, the consumer, fail to understand that complete protection comes at a cost. For a while, I accepted the fact that I would sacrifice waterproof and drop protection for something that was just going to keep the screen from getting cracked with a small drop.
Hitcase is a Canadian phone case company that has heard our cries for help and has addressed the issue head-on by creating a phone case with complete protection and the smallest profile possible. I was sent a box of their cases just prior to the desert event known as Burning Man, where the dust and mayhem can completely destroy your digital devices with swift efficiency. In such a visually stimulating environment, most “Burners” rely on their phones to take pictures of various art cars and their friends; capturing memories that could hardly be explained weeks later. So this was to be a true test of capabilities for Hitcase and my precious iPhone.
With an aluminum frame and rubber gaskets covering the ports, the Pro case hugs the edges of the iPhone X without rolling over the sides, feeling big and bulky. In fact, the case is so sleek that it feels almost natural holding the phone like Apple designed it themselves. The case comes with two top covers for the screen. One is the waterproof and dustproof cover that offers the ultimate protection needed for the active person. The other case is for your more casual environments which allows you to directly touch the screen without a protective barrier. I found that over the week in the desert, the protective cover held up incredibly well and sustained only minor scratches. This was strictly due to the fact that you often find yourself without pockets, so your phone sits inside your bag, smashing up against any number of things like water bottles, goggles and a dust mask.
Hitcase sent along three of their TrueLUX lenses to test out. On the site, they sell Superwide, Wide and Macro, but I seemed to have obtained two different Macro’s as well as the super wide. The Superwide is phenomenal and really allows you to replicate a fisheye with a simple quarter turn of the lens onto the back of the case. With the aluminum frame of the case coupled with the strong threads of the lens, you get a really positive connection without the worry of the lens falling off during active activities. However, I did notice some image quality degradation in the photos where I used the lens. The two Macro’s really allow you to pull out the smallest details in whatever subject it is you’re taking a picture of. But one of the Macro’s sent to me required that I put my phone so close to the subject that they were almost touching. I felt like I turned my phone into a microscope. So I found very little use for those lenses for any practical purposes.
Out of the box, the case has what they call a Railslide that allows you to mount the phone to various accessories to enhance the capabilities of your now waterproof device, similar to GoPro. When not in use, this Railslide is mildly annoying due to its awkward protrusion from the side of the phone. What makes it more annoying is the fact that the only way to remove the rail is with a small Allen wrench that doesn’t come in the box contents. So to go from a sanitary case to the ability to mount it and get in the water takes a little more effort than is desired. But looking at it from an engineering perspective, there really is no better alternative without some serious engineering complications. Covering the lighting port is a rubber gasket that works incredibly well at keeping the water out, but it’s also quite difficult to get open if you have slightly damp or oily fingers. Picking at the small flap over the past few weeks caused the rubber to tear leaving me unable to open the port, so I just took it off entirely. Yes, this is preventing my phone from keeping anything out, but I’m not requiring my phone to film the next Bluefin I spear on a dive trip. If Hitcase sent one or two extra’s with the contents, that would alleviate this issue entirely. With the durability of the Pro Case, I find a hard time believing it will need replacing until I upgrade to the next phone model. So this small oversight is something that I hope they will address in the future. Overall, Hitcase knocked this out of the park and have stepped in the ring with the big dog case manufacturers to deliver a knockout blow, cementing themselves as the only case to find itself protecting my most needed piece of technology.
Specs
- Triple patented design
- Low profile anodized Aluminum frame
- IP68 Waterproof rating up to 33ft/10m
- Drop-proof to 16ft/5m – MIL SPEC Shock rated
- Take stunning photos/videos with 3x TrueLUX® Lenses: Wide, Macro and Superwide (sold separately)
- Mount it anywhere with our Railslide mount system.
- Compatible with all 8 HITCASE mounts and GoPro® mounts
- Scratch resistant screen
- Get your phone in and out in seconds with our super secret Shockseal design
- Seamless Touch ID: talk, text, shoot, share = do all the things.
