Alongside its new leather BookBook case, Twelve South debuted an all-new collection of silicone iPhone 17/Pro and Pro Max cases with matching Apple Watch bands to match. We have now had a chance to test them out in an attempt to answer the glaring question here – why would anyone pay $50 for a Twelve South silicone case when they can get one that looks similar on Amazon for $16? Let’s dive in.
Twelve South iPhone 17 case review
The new silicone Twelve South iPhone 17 cases have arrived for the 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max in three colors alongside the matching Apple Watch bands. The case will run you $50 a pop, but you can save $10 off your order if you purchase one alongside the matching bands.
Features at a glance:
- Silky-soft shell with microfiber lining
- Matte finish provides secure grip
- Slim profile with reinforced edges
- MagSafe compatible
- Pairs with our Watch Bands
9to5Toys Take
While perhaps best known in the iPhone case world for its BookBook, Twelve South stepped into the more minimalist and clean silicone space this year for the iPhone 17 lineup. It’s not something I expected from the brand, after covering case releases for years, but I am happy to report they are quite nice if you’re into this kind of thing.
My immediate first impression after sliding Apple’s Cosmic Orange into the new Twelve South case is what it calls “soft-touch silicone.” It is perhaps the softest and smoothest I have tested out this year, even more so than the official Apple models, but this is both a good and a bad thing – it feels really, really nice in the hand, but there’s no extra grip on this case it all. If you’re the type who appreciates some thoughtful textured grip action, these Twelve South cases are not likely to be for you. Twelve South claims they have a matte finish for “secure grip”, and matte they are – there’s no “shine” here at all – but I certainly wouldn’t categorize them as grippy (not any more or less than any silicone case I have used anyway).
Having said all that. I happen to really like the look and feel here – there’s something super clean about it. This is also one of the rare occasions where I actually like the fact that the silicone covers right over the side buttons .
I very much love metal button covers on my iPhone cases, and still very much do, but I really like how the buttons on these Twelve South cases maintain the clean look all the way around. How well they will hold up after 8 months of constant use remains to be seen, but so far so good.
This also applies to the bezel around back protecting the camera plateau. I prefer a metal treatment here – if you’re going to have a big frame on the back of my case I would, at least, like to see a touch of design prowess or least a nice strip of matching/or accent metal here.
The Twelve South approach to camera protection appears to be a hard plastic one, but it’s not all bad for me. One trend I’m not liking this year is case makers just slapping a black bezel on the back of the case, metal or otherwise – there’s no more black iPhone Pro model and it can sometimes be a bit of an eye sore for me. Twelve South’s matches the case color nicely. It isn’t the exact same color as each of the three case options here, but a slightly darker tone that fits in nicely with the overall look and feel. Much like the button covers, I don’t think it’s the premium material I want, but it looks really nice anyway.
It fit wonderfully, the Camera Control button cover works well, and the MagSafe action has been flawless thus far – one of my main gripes with these cases is the “Twelve South” lettering along the lower third on the case back. This is clearly a personal thing and not something everyone will hate, but I just wish it was either a more subtle embossed implementation as opposed to the print, or perhaps an even better idea would have been a small subtle Twelve South logo instead of the lettering.
All-in-all, these cases are about as unremarkable as they are perfectly functional and recommendable. There’s nothing to write home about here and they check most of the boxes when it comes to a silicone case, but you’re likely going to have to be a fan of the brand or the matching Apple Watch bands to be willing to shell out the $50 it’ll cost you to get one of these over the cheapie models on Amazon – they aren’t quite as nice, but there are some notable options that look and feel very similar to this for a fraction of that price.
Buy the Twelve South Silicone iPhone 17 Cases
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