An overpriced, bad-fitting iPhone case. Find something better.
Tech 21 Evo Elite Review – You’d think a 60 dollar case would be better
Today we’re going to review the Tech 21 Evo Elite. This is a slim and lightweight iPhone case that despite being “elite” is definitely not worth the $60 price tag it’s being sold at due to a couple of build quality issues.
For our Tech 21 Evo Elite Review, we’ve given it a score of 4 Eh’s out of 5 but we strongly have to note that the exact score is 3.95 out of 5. In our opinion, anything under 4 is not worth your money based on our experience with iPhone cases. The Evo Elite does a bit better than the Evo Mesh though and not as well as the Classic Shell and doesn’t even come close to fan favourites such as the Rhinoshield and Thule cases. Need more case alternatives? Check out the comparison tool for slim iPhone 6 cases.
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Design – A little too thin
In terms of design, this is a very thin and light case. It’s so thin that parts of this 60 dollar case don’t even provide clearance for the screen. The bottom part of the case isn’t straight either which we think is a build quality issue. In addition to this shortcoming, this “scratch resistant” case doesn’t nothing to resist scratches from your fingernails. Totally “Elite”.
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Protection – The sleekness comes at a price
Regarding protection, the Evo Elite is made with materials called FlexShock which, to Tech 21, is a “new cutting edge hybrid impact protection material”. Now nowhere on the box does it say how tough FlexShock is but it does say 2m in tiny print on their website. So we took it outside and dropped it from 2m.
The protection of this case is a far cry from the Rhinoshield Playproof that we dropped from 10 ft. at half the cost.
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Functionality – Tech 21 removes the best part of the Evo series of cases
In terms of accessing your iPhone, the lack of clearance for the case allows you to access your iPhone’s touchscreen easily. The buttons are quite nice to use and are a great upgrade from the rigid buttons on the Tech 21 Evo Mesh. Cutouts at the bottom are large enough to handle 3rd Party cables.
When it comes to handling, we liked the rubber sides of the Evo Mesh. On the Evo Elite, Tech 21 decided to replace the nice rubber sides with really slick sides which means you’re taking a lot of risks when using the iPhone. If your device slips and you’re using the iPhone in portrait mode, the edge that’s going to hit the ground first is the edge that doesn’t cover the screen much. Totally “Elite.”
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So that’s all we have for this case. We’re incredibly annoyed at the fact that we paid 60 dollars for such a lacklustre case. You have been warned. Stay away from the Tech 21 Evo Elite!
Have questions about our Tech 21 Evo Elite Review? Please ask them on our Google+ page or on our Facebook page or through our About Us page.
rioluland
November 8, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Aaron can you do a review on the Maxboost screen protector. Thank You and keep up the good videos i have watched them since the 5s came out.
Aaron Ho
November 9, 2015 at 4:37 pm
I will check it out.
James Katt
November 27, 2015 at 5:10 pm
The video is for the Rhinoshield Playproof. The text is for the Tech 21 Evo Elite. They don’t match, Aaron.
Aaron Ho
November 27, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Thanks James.
Drew Shollmier
January 6, 2017 at 3:33 am
Aaron, I just got this case for the iPhone 7 Plus and it doesn’t have a shiny clear back that scratches and seems to fit nice and snug. Before this, I had the Apple Leather Case and do not like how difficult it is to grip nor do I like the exposed bottom of the phone. I can already tell that the Evo Elite makes it easier to grip the phone.
Maybe Tech21 heard about your complaints?
Aaron Ho
January 9, 2017 at 3:18 pm
Thx for the comment! Do you find the back to be extremely slick? That bothers me a bit but I am very surprised at how thin the case is.