Poetic is the king of affordable/budget cases. Poetic cases are both well-priced but and well-designed. Our only issue for the Poetic cases is that some of them make our pricey iPhones look cheap. Which one would we stay away from? Find out in our Poetic Guardian, NuBuck, Revolution and Lumos review for the iPhone XS!
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At Mobile Reviews Eh!, we do reviews based on actual usage. We do tests and use the products for days and maybe weeks. We rate our cases across 20+ criteria which we then normalize all the scores of the other 200+ cases weʼve used for the 2018 iPhones.
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Poetic Revolution
PROS:
- has a kickstand
- lots of texture
- buttons are nice
- has a built in screen protector
CONS:
- has a built in screen protector
- questionable fit
- you wonʼt ever get to cut your fingernails anymore.
Poetic Revolution is probably Poeticʼs flashiest case. From our perspective, thereʼs a lot going on with the Poetic Revolution which is bad. It looks like the case has screws in it from afar but the reality is that itʼs just PC thatʼs made to look like screws. If youʼre into extraneous details like this, the Poetic Revolution is going to be very appealing. For us, we feel that the $ 1800 iPhone deserves a case that has a cleaner design.
The Poetic Revolution is the thickest case out of the 4 that weʼve reviewed. However it should be noted that the bulk isnʼt that noticeable given how big the iPhone XS Max is. Poetic tends to add a bit more material to the corners of case which adds to the drop protection of the case.
The Poetic Revolution is the only case that we have a fit issue with. Thereʼs a sharp edge. We’re assuming this is a one-off manufacturing issue but that one sharp edge does cheapen the feel of the iPhone.
The Poetic Revolution wonʼt slide around easily, will add about 64 gʼs to your iPhone and no issue with wear and tear.
When it comes to overall design, the Poetic Revolution and Guardian share similar design aspects. Both cases has two layers to it. The iPhone sits in a PC frame that gets wrapped in TPU. This design feature is similar to the Otterbox Defender. In general, this style of design will result in better protection.
The edges of the case are high enough to easily keep the screen protector off a flat surface. Both the Poetic Guardian and Revolution has dust covers for the lightning port and mute switch.
We’re still not sold on the built in screen protector but Poetic does a great job in almost convincing us that having a built screen protector is almost a decent idea. Our opinion of a built-screen protectors isnʼt very high. However it has been buoyed a bit since coming across some Pelican cases that have them so if Pelican has them, maybe theyʼre not completely terrible?
When it comes to accessing your iPhone, we didnʼt have issues as the buttons which are quite nice. The lighting port is also accessible but you have to deal with the port cover which thankfully gets easier to use over time, There are also no issues with camera access.
There is a kickstand on the back of the case and Poetic does a good job of making it large enough for it to be stable. Unlike the Spigen Tough Armor’s kickstand where a slight breeze might knock it down. Our only problem is that the kickstand is hard to use when you have long fingernails and almost impossible with none. Which is why you wonʼt ever get to cut your fingernails anymore if you want to use the kickstand.
When it comes to the built in screen protector, we were expecting a flurry of usability issues. But we didnʼt come across any with the Poetic Revolution. Surprisingly. glare from the screen protector isnʼt noticeable and the rainbowing effect is quite mild and only occurs when the screen is off.
Like all plastic screen protectors, the built in screen protector will scratch a little easier than glass and fingerprinting is going to be a big issue. If you actually take old school voice calls, your really going to notice how greasy your face is.
If this was a waterproof case with a plastic screen protector, you could easily clean it with some soap and water. But if you do that with the Poetic Revolution or Guardian, water might get caught between the screen protector and device. Another thing that makes a $1800 dollar iPhone look a little cheap.
The OLED screens on the iPhone XS and XS Max are awesome. Glass does a good job of preserving the screenʼs quality but plastic does not. We’d only recommend a product with a plastic screen protector if you need the extra protection. Otherwise, stay away. Honestly, why cover the best looking part of your device with something thatʼs hard to clean and may damage your device over time?
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Poetic Lumos
Score
3.7 Eh’s out of 5
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PROS:
- Grippy?
- Clear?
- Might be slightly tougher than other clear cases
CONS:
- Boring
The Poetic Lumos is the only 100% clear case in Poeticʼs collection. And there’s nothing special about it. Poetic Lumos is your generic run of the mill clear case. It has a tacky feel, shows fingerprinting like nobodyʼs business, has air pockets for addition drop protection and matrix of dots on the inside of the case to break up some of the fingerprints of the case.
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Poetic NuBuck
Score
3.8 Eh’s out of 5
Get them now on Amazon!
PROS:
- unique finish
- different design
CONS:
- doesnʼt offer much iPhone protection
We like the Poetic NuBuck. Itʼs different. Poetic decided to use a bit of fabric on the backside of the case which makes this case feel different. If youʼve read our “Top Wallet Cases for the iPhone XS”, youʼll know that weʼve gotten a little bored of cases that try to be fancy by adding a bit of leather to their cases in an effort to make it feel fancier.
Leather and PC or TPU? Boring.
Leather, Fabric and TPU? Way cooler.
The change in texture makes the Poetic NuBuck feel more like a high end accessory for the iPhone rather than just a normal card case.
The change in texture makes the Poetic NuBuck feel more like a high end accessory for the iPhone rather than just a normal card case.
In terms of size, the Poetic NuBuck is tiny. It doesnʼt add much bulk to your iPhone and fits your iPhone quite well. The edges of the case are very shallow so get a screen protector. The case wears well over time and the overall combination of the fabric, leather and TPU handles quite well.
The Poetic NuBuck is the least protective case in this review. We doubt it will do much in a drop over 1 m. If youʼre not too clumsy with your devices, the Poetic NuBuck is a worthwhile accessory. But if youʼre mildly clumsy and are looking for a wallet case, maybe get something a little tougher.
We had no issues with accessing an iPhone in the Poetic NuBuck. Cards are easily accessible in the pocket so itʼs perfect for those who need to use it with a bus pass or RFID access card.
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Poetic Guardian
Score
4 Eh’s out of 5
Get them now on Amazon!
PROS:
- sits in PC frame
- has covers for everything
- built in screen protector
- clear back is raised
- oversized corners
- light
- easy to use buttons
CONS:
- built in screen protector
- greasy
- traps dust/debris
- scratches easily
Out of Poeticʼs entire lineup, the Poetic Guardian is our favourite. The design of the case doesnʼt make the iPhone feel cheap. Poetic Guardian still has built in screen protector which we’re not a big fan.
The Poetic Guardian and Revolution share a similar design. Everything weʼve said about the Poetic Revolution is going to apply to the Poetic Guardian except for the aesthetics of the case. Instead of having a bunch of fake screws, the Poetic Guardian has a clear back with clean lines at the bottom. Thereʼs nothing visually jarring about the back.
The Poetic Guardian is a thicker case on paper but thatʼs due to the tiny feet that prop the back of the case up. The feet minimizes the scratching on the back. The corners are larger than the Poetic Revolution which means it can handle drops a little better.
The standout feature for the Poetic Guardian is the finish on the TPU edge. The matte finish isnʼt as abrasive as the Poetic Revolution’s and feels quite nice. Overall, it just feels like a suitable finish on an accessory for the stupidly expensive iPhone.
At the end of the day, the Poetic Guardian doesnʼt make theiPhone feel or look cheap.
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