The Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for iPhone 5 is a beast of a case. This $125 dollar behemoth of a case sports a thick shock-absorbing bumper and a Gorilla glass screen protector. Based on our usage, we give this case a score of 4.1 Eh?s out of 5.
*To find out more information about the Gorilla Glass click here
PROS
– Gorilla Glass Screen Protector
– Access to all ports- Build Quality
– Looks
– Shock protection
CONS
– Weight and Bulk
– Pain to install/uninstall
ABOUT THE CASE MANUFACTURER
Lunatik is a company that makes that claims to have “emerged from disruption”. They’re a company that is focused on building quality products for everybody’s mobile and digital lives. They take a lot of pride in the design of their products and based on our time with the Taktik Extreme, it shows.
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Now Lunatik doesn’t explicitly state how rugged the case actually is so we had to take a risk in performing the variety of drop tests with one of our iPhones. This lack of specifications for protection is something that could be addressed.
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
The Lunatik Taktik is not a small case and will add a significant amount of bulk and weight to the iPhone. Again, Lunatik does not provide much information regarding the dimensions of the case on their website. Here is a quick glance of the case with tow tools that were included in the packaging.
In the Design category, we gave the Lunatik Taktik Extreme case for iPhone 5, a score of 3.3 Eh?’s out of 5. It scores the lowest in terms of weight/bulk and installation. The only redeeming quality for this case in the Design category is the build quality of the case.
As we mentioned earlier, this is a behemoth of a case. This case is not meant for the person who wants a level of rugged protection and be able to carry the case in a suit jacket pocket.
It adds quite a bit of width to the case (almost doubling the width of the iPhone 5) and is significantly thicker but due to the tapered edges of the front/back pieces, you don’t realize that the case if three iPhone 5s thick.
We are not big fans of cases with screws. Our commitment to real usage at MobileReview-eh.ca means that we have to swap out our cases on a consistent basis and having to undo the 6 screws is a tedious, painful process. Yes, there are six screws required to install the Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for iPhone 5.
To add to the tedious and painful process of doing up all the screws is the fact that the tool that Lunatik provided us was useful for about 2 screws before we stripped the head off of a tool.
From our perspective, a case with such bulk and weight should be easier to remove so that a more appropriate case could be used in settings where the rugged protection is not needed.
Lunatik prides itself on design and it shows. The Taktik Extreme case feels well put together and the materials of the case do not feel cheap at all. Careful thought has been given to the various ports and how they interact with the rest of the case. The little metal slide for the ringer switch is a great way to access that feature of the iPhone 5 without confusing the user (other cases tend to reverse that action on the case).
Another piece of the case that you’ll notice is the hatch for the headphone jack. This piece feels like it’s made from aluminum and gives the case a nice visual accent to an otherwise dark, Batman-looking case.
We had our own personal Batman perform a series of Drop Tests on the case. The iPhone 5 and the case survived with “flying” colours.
The feature that caught our attention (and we still can’t get over how awesome it is) is the addition of the Gorilla Glass screen protector. This screen protector works incredibly well with the case and provides an “au-natural” feel to the touchscreen of the iPhone.
Lunatik describes the Taktik Extreme as a case for extreme protection. How extreme? They don’t really say (I don’t know if you haven’t noticed but I’m really annoyed at the lack of information that Lunatik provides us).
On their support page, there is a story about a motorcyclist who dropped the phone in a Taktik Extreme while going 50mph and had it survive but that’s about it. Not the most scientific way to describe extreme protection.
Drop Test – Lunatik Taktik Strike Case for the iPhone 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8LwEtZrI7g
At some point in our research, we came across the word “Batman” and Lunatik Extreme and we put both things together due to that fact that the case really makes the iPhone 5 look like something Batman would use.
So in our drop test, we treated the case (with an actual iPhone) as a Batarang, the whirly flying weapons that Batmans throws at his enemies and attempted to knock over a bottle of water. Several of the throws resulted in the case striking both the ground and the wall behind it and the phone still is intact. In addition to the Batarang tests, we dropped it from several heights (onto a concrete floor) including a 10-12 feet toss into the air.
The phone still works and we can safely say that the Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for the iPhone 5 it is a tank.
Water Resistance Test – Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for iPhone 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TYPD5vibfU
Now, one might think that with a $125 dollar case, it probably should be waterproof. YET, the Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for iPhone 5 is not waterproof. In fact, it’s not terribly water resistant as well.
During our tests, we noticed that the bottom of the case might be waterproof given the tight fit between the bumper and front/back pieces, as well as the snugness of the headphone/lightning connector ports but that’s not the case (haha pun intended :)). Holding the device in the shower for a few seconds also produced lack-luster results as the water quickly got into the case.
Now, from the feedback that we’ve received, it seems that the case is able to keep up a bit of water (primarily from misting sources/dew) but we definitely recommend that you use caution when using this case around any water sources.
And here it comes, the problem with the six screws.
One of the things that we did realize during the water resistance tests is that significant damage could happen to your device if you do get it wet. In most cases, if you get your phone wet, you’ll want to turn it off, remove the case and dry it off as quickly as possible. With the amount of screws that you have to uninstall, water will sit longer inside your device, which may lead to damage to your device. This is something to keep in mind.
In addition, you have to carry with you the small M2 tool in order to remove the screws. I for one have the uncanny ability to loose small things.
The screen protection is one of the most unique parts of this case. Most cases come with a plastic screen protector but the Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for the iPhone 5 comes with a Gorilla Glass screen protector.
As you’ll see from our drop tests, we were tossing the case on concrete/gravel and there wasn’t any scratching on the screen protector. It’s actually because of this glass screen protector that we were so ridiculous with our drop tests.
In addition to the glass screen protector, the edges of the case are raised (about ½ cm) which offers an added level of screen protection.
Despite the menacing size of the case, Lunatik has ensured that every feature of your iPhone 5 can be accessed. Lunatik’s commitment to design is evident in how we interact with the phone through the case.
Despite the fact that this case is a tank, it handles very well. The raised edges around the entire front edge of the case results in a very grip-able case which reduces hand strain during marathon gaming sessions on your phone.
Accessibility to all the ports and buttons is top notch (though some users may find that getting to the volume/power buttons takes a bit of effort (We’ve covered this in our comparison video between the Taktik Strike and Taktik Extreme).
One of the unique features of this case is the mute/ringer button. On the majority of rugged cases that we’ve reviewed, this button is revered so it takes a couple of days to get use to this reversal (there’s been a few instances when our phones have gone off in meetings and movies). On the Taktik Extreme, the mute/ringer button (it’s a small pole that runs through the case) is toggled by pushing a small button on the side of the case. Did we mention that Lunatik pays a lot of attention to detail?
At the bottom of the case, the latch for the headphones and plug for the lightning connector are both very accessible and they feel very solid. The headphone jack is large enough to accommodate headphone jacks that are slightly larger the stock iPhone headphones. The headphones that have a very thick connector will not work with the headphone jack (see picture below, the black headphones are too thick to fit into the Extreme case headphone jack).
The glass screen protector is a joy to use (once you go glass, you never go back?). Certain screen protectors will numb responsiveness of the iPhone but that is not the case for the Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for the iPhone 5. The only complaint that we have with the screen usability is that the edges of the case do get in the way in some use cases. Most of these complaints disappear if you use a different finger or rotate the phone.
The screen protector handles fingerprints as well as a naked device and the glare is kept to a minimum and it does not diffuse the Retina screen of the iPhone at all.
We would add more to this section of the write up but there’s really nothing to talk about other than the fact that the screen protector on this case is the best that we’ve ever used.
Lunatik Taktik Extreme Case for iPhone 5
We give the Lunatik Taktik Extreme case for the iPhone 5 an Eh? Rating score of 4.1 Eh?’s out of 5. This is a well-designed case with many unique (and surprisingly usable) features that sets it above many of the other cases that we’ve reviewed.
If you have a $125 dollars to spend and want a case that you can drop on-demand without feeling sorry for your phone, this case is definitely for you.
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iPhone 5 / 5S Case Suggestion:
Lunatik Taktik Strike Case for iPhone 5 – this case is basically the same, the major difference is:
a) there is no screen protector,
b) price is $75,
c) will work with iPhone 5S Touch ID feature.
We compared Lunatik Taktik Extreme to the Lunatik Taktik Strike case for the iPhone 5.
Please stayed tuned for the Comparison Review video – it is being uploaded to our Youtube Channel. Check Back Soon.
