Review: Apple Leather Folio for iPhone
£99 (iPhone XS), £129 (iPhone XS Max) From Apple
Features Sleep/wake function, 2x pockets, wireless charging compatible
Apple debuted its Leather Folio case with last year’s iPhone X. Now there are versions for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, in five fairly conservative yet attractive colourways.
The middle part is like the leather case Apple sells for £55, which protects the left, right and top sides. That’s then wrapped in a soft leather cover. Based on our year with the iPhone X version, the leather ages well.
The flap mimics a benefit of Apple’s iPad Smart Cover, waking or sleeping the screen when you open or close it. It doesn’t snap shut tightly like the Smart Cover though. There’s no mechanical fastener, but that’s a bonus as it enables you to reliably flip the cover open, one-handed, to check notifications — handy while walking, especially with the palm-filling XS Max.
Inside there’s a slot for notes and another for a bank card. A £20 note fits in the XS Max case without folding, though it runs into the case’s spine and bends when shut.
This is certainly a quality product, given the leather used and clean design, but the high price limits its appeal. However, if elegant style matters more to you than things like propping up your phone to watch films, it fits the (big) bill.
Alan Stonebridge
MacFormat verdict
Costly no matter how you look at it, but the Folio looks and feels elegant, and delivers welcome practicality.
Score
4 out of 5
Pros and cons
+ A high-quality case
+ Time-saving sleep/wake feature
– You may have no cash left to put in it!
– Pockets hold only a few things
