The Nodus Shell Case for iPhone has magnetic charm

The Shell Case for iPhone by Nodus is a classy case with a useful feature: a powerful magnet for mounting your iPhone anywhere.

Company: Nodus Product: Shell Case for iPhone Price: $73.55 Compatibility: iPhone 6/6s; iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus Colors: Chestnut Brown, Ebony Black, Yellow Date: Jan. 6, 2016

The UK-based company Nodus sells a variety of high-end leather goods, primarily iOS accessories. They were kind enough to send me their Shell Case, a solid, attractive, pebbled leather case made from full/top grain vegetable tanned Italian leather. It’s thick enough to feel protective without adding much bulk. I like their octopus logo on the back, and I prefer that to a big name stamped across the case. I tried out the Yellow leather, which is a natural looking, brownish shade of yellow.

This case reminds me of Apple’s leather iPhone case. It’s a rigid case that snaps onto and off of the iPhone quickly. A gray microfiber interior protects your phone from scratches. The camera hole, top, and bottom are cut out so as not to interfere with functionality. All of the side buttons have functional covers, and the mute switch has a precision cut-out. Everything works as it should inside the case. The lip of the case is designed to protect the screen a little bit by going over the display edge. My one quibble is with fit: I think this case is better suited for last year’s iPhone 6 than for my slightly larger 6s. While the case still fits securely, the lip of the case does not protrude over the screen evenly all the way around; in some places, it’s just flush. Nodus tells me that because the case is handmade, there may be some unevenness, but over time, the case will stretch to fit perfectly.

What makes this case different is the fact that it comes with a magnetic mount called a Micro Dock. It’s a strong magnet with adhesive on the back, and the case has a magnet inside as well, so it forms a powerful bond with the Micro Dock. This is a fantastic feature. Once you have mounted your phone in your car, right next to your steering wheel so you can see your GPS directions at a glance, you’ll never go back to tossing it in your cupholder. Alternatively, you could mount your phone on the wall. You could put it in your kitchen if you use recipes on your iPhone a lot, or next to your bedside, so you don’t “lose” your alarm clock in the dark. I think the package ought to come with more than one Micro Dock, so you don’t have to choose where to adhere it.

There certainly are more protective cases out there. There aren’t precision cut-outs for each port, rather, Nodus left the top and bottom exposed. The lip over the screen isn’t consistent all the way around on an iPhone 6s. But overall, this is a high-quality, appealing case. The magnetic feature that allows you to mount your phone anywhere is a huge bonus. You can buy the Shell Case for iPhone 6/6s or iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus from Nodus for $73.55. It comes in Chestnut Brown, Ebony Black, or Yellow. Shipping for this case is free on all UK, Europe, and North America orders.

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