Looking to keep your iPhone slim and sleek while offering it a bit of drop protection? Check out these corner bumpers from Utomic! More in our Utomic Edge iPhone X and iPhone 8 Review! Drop tests included!
Score
4 Eh’s out of 5
PROS:
- Improves handling
- A lot of accessories to choose from
- The product improved throughout its iterations
CONS:
- Offers little protection
- Snap cases does not fit the iPhone
| Design | Usability | Accessories | Protection |
At Mobile Reviews Eh!, we do reviews based on actual usage. With our own devices. All the money spent repairing our devices from the damage we incur during reviews usually comes out of our own pockets. Yes, it does get expensive.
We did an Utomic Edge review twice in the past three years and got mixed results. Although our first review ended up destroying our iPhone 6 Plus, we still like the Utomic Edge. We like companies who improve their products and not just rehash their design once a new iPhone rolls around. Utomic Edge is like that, the improvement on the day-to-day usage in each new iteration astounds us.
Theyʼve added a plethora of different accessories like the glass protectors for the front and back, normal carbon fibre covers, a wallet cover and ring cover. All these accessories let you keep your iPhone slim while offering enough protection for any day-to-day mishaps that may happen.
SEE ALSO: Bumpies for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and Utomic Edge Review – iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6
If you like how we do our reviews, please consider buying the products on the links scattered on this article.
Design
The Utomic Edge is basically tiny bits of plastic with adhesives on the inside of them. Installation of the product is incredibly simple. Utomic includes a sleeve to help you align the bumpers right so you donʼt have to eyeball them.
The old Bumpies where quite symmetrical but the updated Utomic Edge have a different shape depending on the front and back of the device. For the iPhone X, the portion of the Utomic Edges on the back extend a little further than the front which is done to accommodate the protruding camera. Both sides of the product ensure that your iPhone doesnʼt sit on a flat surface.
NOTE; Bumpies is the old name of Utomic Edge
Utomic Edge’s edges look like plastic, feel like plastic but are actually made from resin-composite which is apparently used in the bio-medical industry. The resin is also mixed in with metal particles and a solid colorant. This helps the Utomic Edge have the same luster as the metal of your iPhoneʼs. We can take a hammer to the Utomic Edge and have it retain itʼs shape after multiple strikes. This is an important feature when it comes to protecting your iPhone.
The adhesive is made by 3M and has a layer of impact dampening foam between the nub and the iPhone. During a drop, the foam actually redirects some of the energy away from the iPhone. This is similar to how your head protects your brain as the fluid between your skull and brain dampens the occasional impacts you endure living as a human.
Usability
Your iPhone actually handles a bit better when compared to a naked iPhone . The nubs give your hands and fingers something extra to hold onto. The clearance of the Utomic Edge also ensures that your iPhone isnʼt hard to pick up. Using a set of Utomic Edgeʼ is probably the best setup for somebody who likes the feel of the iPhone but is still mildly concerned about accidental drops.
Accessories
Screen and Back Protector
Both the screen and back protector fit extremely well with the Utomic Edge. In fact, installation of both products was exceptionally easy once the Utomic Edge were installed.
We’re generally not a fan of back screen protectors. But since Apple decided to jump into the world of Slow AF Qi-charging, we’re more concerned about the back of our devices. The combination of the Utomic Edge with their back screen protector didnʼt bother as much.
SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about 7.5W Qi-charging on the iPhone 8 and iPhone X
The front screen protector is also easy to install and fit incredibly well with the Utomic Edge. One of the standout features for Utomic is their $150 dollar deductible when it comes to breaking your iPhoneʼs screen. If you buy one of their products, register it and accidentally break your screen, Utomic will cover the break. Utomic is one of the few companies that offers that type of warranty. Especially when you consider that the price of the products are quite competitive.
The screen protector is nothing really special as it isnʼt chemically treated like gorilla glass and holds up well to everyday usage.
Cover
Utomic sent us three different covers. The one with finger loop got the most usage from us. The finger loop made taking pictures and videos with our infant much easier. However, this isnʼt our favourite loop accessory. The Utomic Edge’s loopy is far from the usability of the Loopy case but it makes due. The loop can be turned into a kickstand which is handy but it does get loose over time. This makes it harder to set the kickstand on your iPhone up on the first try. Also, the loop accessory doesnʼt allow for Qi-charging but thatʼs not a big knock against it since Qi-charging on the iPhone is quite bad.
The second of the three cover cases is the snap case’ Despite it’s name, itʼs actually easier to actually pull the loop of the back of the case than it is for the case to come off the iPhone. But to be fair, the loop is strong enough to handle a twirling session with a pen.
The snap cases will still also work with a glass screen protector on the back of the case.
Based on our current living circumstance, we’d probably go with the normal carbon fibre snap case. The carbon fibre snap case addresses our biggest issue with the Utomic Edge’ But it’s not actually about the Utomic Edge but more with iPhone. Appleʼs newest iPhones are their worst handling ones. At least the aluminum bodies of the previous generations offered a bit of texture for the hands whereas the glass backs of 8ʼs and Xʼs handle like a wet bar of soap. The carbon fibre snap back nullifies the slickness of the iPhone.
The wallet snap cover, on the other hand, has enough capacity to hold one card or two business cards. We personally donʼt find iPhone wallet accessories terribly useful. However, there will be times that it might come handy. Not just that too often. The wallet also looks like itʼs leather but smells like a plastic.
Side note, we really do not like that the covers didn’t fit closer to the iPhone. Most people wonʼt notice it but youʼll see parts of your iPhone poking out at you with each one of these Snap cases.
Protection
Utomic doesnʼt offer a standard drop height to their products anymore. When we first reviewed the Bumpies, we were told they offered 6ft + drop protection. We tested it before and it broke our iPhone 6 Plus. Thereʼs still a part of us thatʼs quite skeptical about the level protection the Utomic Edge would provide. Our skepticism did not change after dropping the iPhone several times on a concrete floor. Because of that, we feel that Utomic Edge is only going to offer your iPhone with a tiny bit of extra protection. If you drop your phone a lot, this is not for you.
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