A case of reality not matching to expectations
The renders of the product, complete with poor Chinese translation is a common feature across all manufacturers selling cases with this design and I must admit that it makes the product look much better than it really is. I had resisted purchasing a case with this design on AliExpress a little after the launch of the iPhone 7 since I was unsure of its quality, even though it was priced at half of what it is being sold for on Amazon India. The ‘Egotude’ branding and mention of ‘Swachh Bharat’ on the package does nothing to hide the true origin of the product which is essentially a “case” of wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Amazon’s one-day Prime shipping and easy returns meant that I could finally judge the case for what it is rather than what it appears to be. Unfortunately, the product left me disappointed on several fronts which I shall list below:
1. The fitting of the case is far too loose to provide any real protection or even to keep out dirt. As you can see in the attached image, it comes off at the side if you simply slide your fingers along the front surface. The top as well as the bottom of the case squeaks when you press upon it, affirming the fact that the case is not fit for the purpose.
2. The moulding of the rubber part of the case is quite inconsistent. If you run your fingers around it, you can easily feel the jaggedness along the surface.
3. The cut-outs are very poorly done. The attached image indicates how misaligned the cut-out for the mute switch is. Similarly, the cut-out for the lens wasn’t a precise circle, featuring serration on one side. It is as if the machine failed to punch out a complete circle in the rubber casing, following which someone manually pulled it out manually.
4. Quite inexplicably, the transparent back of the case features a hole at its bottom right which you may be able to make out in the attached image. It is not as if there is a noise cancellation microphone present at that location, so it doesn’t make any sense, unless it is a manufacturing defect.
5. Even if everything else was perfect, the back is most likely a thin plastic sheet and definitely doesn’t possess the flexibility of TPU. It also happens to be a huge fingerprint magnet since it lacks protective coating of any sort. In my case, to make matters worse, I had something stuck between the rubber lining and the back which simply couldn’t be scraped away.
I will admit that the case gives a glimpse of how attractive it could have been, had it been as good as the renders. However, poor production quality and seemingly non-existent quality control makes it a really bad proposition. It is to be expected at this price point and I have experienced worse with “premium” products. Ultimately, it is a case of what pleases the eyes of the beholder. It is quite possible that you may be able to look past the imperfections of the case in favour of its overall looks. But for me, this case was a return on first sight.
Click here to check the product on Amazon India
